Omnia Causa Fiunt
by Myrrddin
Summary: In a strange twist of Fate, Luigi is thrown into the ongoing war of light and shadow. A dark, lonely journey now lies before him. The question is, will he have the courage to carry out his destiny, or will he succumb to the darkness? Currently on Act III!
1. The Final Match

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters belonging to Nintendo or Shigeru Miyamoto. I wrote this for fun and I don't intend to make any money off of it.

* * *

**Chapter 1: The Final Match**

"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLL!" The announcer's voice broke through the screams and cheers of the crowds. The Green-clad Hammer brother who scored the goal cheered before sliding himself along the ground on his shell. Crater field echoed with techno music accompanied by the rhythmic clapping of the fans as the play-by-play repeated itself on the numerous screens before switching back to the cameras that zeroed in on the players.

The last match of the cup: Luigi Vs. Waluigi, and the score was tied, 6 to 6. The time read 4:37. The ref blew the whistle as the lanky purple-clad man called for a momentary time out. The team went to their captain and huddled.

"Alright guys, huddle in!" Luigi called. The three hammer brothers gathered around their leader. "Great job out there! We've got about four and a half minutes left and thanks to Marius," he said as he patted the nearest hammer bro on the back, "We got our chance to catch up." The team all congratulated Marius, who shot a beaming grin at each person. Luigi cleared his throat and wiped the sweat off of his brow before continuing. "Now, as you can see by our state," he motioned to the numerous dirt smudges and bruises on his teammates as well as himself, "Waluigi's team doesn't exactly like to play a clean game… so… new plan. If you see a chance to break the defensive line and score, go for it! That's what we're known for! Guys, we've gotten this far… now let's finish this! Remember… Our symbol is a bolt of lightning, so let's give them a real shock!" He put his hand into the center of the circle. Followed by Marius, and the two other team members, Breaker and Hammer.

"1…2…3…GRAAAH!" They all shouted as Waluigi's team broke and headed for midfield. The ref called for the players to take their positions before rolling the ball to Waluigi. Waluigi growled at Luigi, "You're goin' down, Shorty!"

"Bring it, Stringbean…" Luigi retorted. The purple koopas eyed the green Hammer brothers with eagerness as the ref blasted a piercing shriek from the whistle.

Waluigi shot the ball back to the koopa behind him before dodging a slide tackle from one of Luigi's team mates. As the koopa passed to Waluigi, Breaker unleashed a barrage of ice shells that hit right on. Waluigi was transformed into an ice statue momentarily as Luigi stole the ball and headed back down field.

"Me, Me, ME!" Shouted Marius as he waved his arms wildly. Luigi lobbed the ball over the head of an attacking koopa. Marius stopped the ball before dodging and wound up for a kick. The koopa who was aiming for Luigi slammed into him, sending him rolling across the field right into the electric fence. The crowd gasped as the fence activated, sending volts of electricity through the plumber's body. A string of nonsensical babble escaped Luigi's lips before he was thrown off of the fence still sparking, arousing a collective groan from the sympathetic crowd. Marius kicked the ball as hard as he could as Luigi turned over and pushed himself off of the grass.

* * *

Up in the stands, Mario, Peach, Daisy and Wario sat watching. "Ooooh, that's gonna hurt in the morning," Wario Laughed.

"Come on 'Weege," Mario called, clenching his fists as Daisy and Peach cheered loudly for him and his team.

Peach looked over to Mario, "With the way the teams are going at it, he's going to need all the support he can get." She said worriedly and slipping her hand into Mario's.

Mario turned his eyes to her, "Don't-a worry, Luigi's tougher than you think." He gave her hand a squeeze and smiled at her.

"GO LUIGI!" Daisy Screamed.

* * *

Back on the field, Marius's kick was batted away by the goalie towards Luigi. Luigi stopped the ball and dodged another oncoming koopa before preparing for a super strike. But before he could get the ball into the air, Waluigi's cleated foot connected purposely with Luigi's face. The fans booed and shouted angrily at Waluigi as the Ref blasted his whistle. Waluigi's kick had Luigi sprawled on the ground with a good-sized gash above his right eye.

"Penalty! Penalty!" The ref bellowed as Hammer and Breaker helped Luigi to his feet while sending fiery glares to Waluigi. "Penalty kick!" The ref ordered. Luigi wiped away the blood that was beginning to run down his face before looking up at the clock. "2:10," he mumbled. "I'll take it," He said to the ref. The ref nodded and said before handing him the ball, "You need a medic there, buddy?"

"Nah, I'm fine," Luigi sent him a reassuring nod before getting into place. The defenders took their positions as Luigi braced himself. The tweet from the whistle sent him booting the ball at the Kremlin guarding the goal. The crowd screamed wildly as it slipped past him and into the net. Luigi grinned and raced back towards midfield with his arms spread like an airplane's. Marius copied him all the while laughing. "Yesss," Luigi hissed tiredly, wiping away the blood again. Once again, the players took positions as the ref blew the whistle. Waluigi sent the ball to the koopa on his left who took it and raced downfield. Luigi took off after Waluigi, wincing as he wiped his eye again. _That's definitely gonna be a shiner,_ he thought as he tried to cover his purple opponent. The koopa passed to another teammate and doubled back towards his end of the field.

Marius and Breaker panted as they fought to get the koopas into a position to where they couldn't shoot. Breaker shouldered one into the fence as the other dodged Marius's attack and passed to Waluigi, who had somehow managed to give Luigi the slip. Waluigi wound up for a super strike as the clock ticked away. He lobbed a large Bob-omb at Luigi, completely unaware, however, as Hammer came barreling towards him. Luigi saw it approaching with a loud whistle. "Oh, Bugger…" he muttered before it hit the ground a few feet away, sending him, Breaker and two of Waluigi's koopas flying. Luigi and the others hit the ground covered in soot. "Breaker… Are you alright?" He called to his fallen comrade.

"Yeah… man… This ain't soccer…it's war!" Breaker said as he and Luigi got to their feet. The clock was now down to the final few seconds. Hammer's attack missed, but luckily, the goalie managed to smack the ball back into Waluigi, thus knocking him into the fence. Three blasting shrieks from the ref's whistle signaled the end of the game. Sparks and confetti flew from the shooters as the announcer proclaimed, "And that is the end of it, ladies and Gentleman, Luigi defeated Waluigi 7 to 6 in today's match." Luigi laughed before doing his victory dance which included moon walking and a wave. "Choo, choo, choo, choo, oh, oh, Luigi!" The grand stands erupted with cheers. The officials approached him and handed him a shining silver trophy, which he held above his head.

"Luigi wins the star cup!" The announcer screamed.

As Marius, Breaker, and Hammer were running to congratulate him, Luigi observed the damage to the field with a low whistle. Pieces of shell, chunks of melting ice, banana peels, craters, clumps of grass and dirt and still-smoking pieces of bob-omb littered the field.

"Hey 'Weege! Missin' somethin'?" Hammer called out as he held Luigi's hat up.

"Eh?" Luigi questioned, bringing his hand up and feeling hair beneath his fingers instead of the familiar covering. _I need a haircut…_ He randomly thought as he accepted his hat with a sheepish grin. He must have lost it in that last blast. And to think he didn't even notice it…

Up in the stands, amidst the ecstatic crowd, mixed emotions were coming from the group of friends.

"Damn It!" Wario cursed as Waluigi and his team trudged off of the field. He left with a huff to reprimand his brother while Mario, Peach and Daisy jumped up and down with the rest of Luigi's fans. "He did it! He did it!" Peach and Daisy screamed excitedly as they hugged each other. Mario watched them for a moment before calling out over the cheering, "Come on guys, let's go on down." The girls nodded in agreement and followed Mario down through the rows of Yoshis, Pintas, and Nokis down to the field.

"Luigi!" They called out to him as he was congratulating his team. Luigi put his hat back on and fondly waved to them. "Hey!" Daisy ran up to him and threw her arms around him. "You did it!" She squealed. Luigi let out a chuckle, "I couldn't have done it without them," he said motioning to his team as the Kremlin joined the group. Luigi handed the trophy to Breaker and Hammer, who took it and began running a victory lap. "Guys I don't think you've had the opportunity to meet the team, personally. This is Marius, Kreacher, and the two hyper ones are Breaker and Hammer… they're twins."

Marius and Kreacher shook hands with all of them before Peach spoke, "So, Marius, are they your brothers too?"

"Oh, no madam. We're not related." He gave a small bow, being very difficult due to his bruises. Peach thought him very charming nonetheless. He wasn't rough and rowdy like most Hammer Bros.

"Well," Luigi sighed as Mario gave him a hearty slap on the back, "Let's go. Otherwise we won't catch the plane back to the mainland." As they began to leave, Marius called out to Hammer and Breaker, who came running with the trophy high over their heads, laughing loudly.

* * *

About half an hour later they were on the jet flying home.

"Well, I certainly hope everything went well," Sir Toadsworth said as he settled into an empty seat next to Princess Peach. "The kingdom will be very happy to see you again after being away for a week."

"Everything went just fine Toadsworth," Peach said, giving him a small smile.

"Swimmingly…OUCH!" Luigi yelped as Daisy attempted to clean the cut on his face.

"Oh, do sit still… my gosh, how can you expect me to help you when you're fidgeting around like that," Daisy scolded, "There I'm done." Daisy had gotten the blood to stop flowing, but Luigi would still need to have it looked at by the medical corps to have it properly sutured before it would start healing properly. Luigi stifled a huge yawn and settled back in his seat before taking Daisy's hand in his own and giving it a light kiss before closing his eyes. Daisy gave his hand a little squeeze. He needed to sleep, especially after the beating he took earlier today. On the Other side of Luigi, Marius and Kreacher were just starting to doze off while Breaker and Hammer snored loudly in the row behind them. Daisy heard Peach give a quiet giggle. Looking at what she was laughing at, she smiled too. Mario had fallen asleep, slumped over the side of his chair with his mouth hanging open. It took a minute for the two princesses to realize that they were the only ones still awake in the plane's cabin. Daisy took one last look at Luigi's soot and dirt-covered jersey, before yawning and drifting off herself.

An hour later, Daisy woke up. She checked the time on her yellow and Orange sports watch. The digital face read 11:30 PM. She carefully unbuckled her seatbelt and got up, making her way back towards the bathroom to freshen up. She flicked on the light switch once inside and turned on the faucet, splashing cold water on her face. They would be at The Mushroom Kingdom International Airport any minute now. A Princess does have to look somewhat decent, despite the fact that she was a major tomboy. After cleaning her face she stepped back and took one last look at herself in the mirror. "Thank God I didn't wear a dress today, it was a scorcher!" She was wearing a pair of short Orange shorts accompanied by a bright yellow tank top. All of their teams had been defeated earlier that week. Daisy still thought the hardest match was against Luigi. "He's really good," She said to herself quietly. She stretched one last time before turning off the light and going back into the dimly lit cabin. As she was about to get back to her seat, the "Fasten seatbelt" sign came on.

"Oh boy…" She murmured as she climbed back into her seat and buckled her seatbelt right as the announcer's voice came on. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Royal Flight 408 from Yoshi Island Regional to Mushroom Kingdom International is now reaching its destination. Thank you and have a nice evening." The lights slowly came on as the familiar turbulence associated with the descent gently shook the passengers awake.

"Mmmblemumble…are we there yet?" Luigi asked groggily as he opened his eyes. A sharp bump as the wheels touched the runway answered his question. The group was too tired to say much as they got off their plane, Marius and Kreacher practically having to carry Breaker and Hammer off.

Luigi gently elbowed Mario, "They sleep harder than you do." Mario didn't look amused, showing this by giving Luigi a flat look.

Once they got their luggage, They all went out to the front of the airport where a couple cars were waiting to escort each person to their respectable houses.

"Luigi!" Hollered a familiar voice from a large van sitting a few feet away. Luigi rubbed his eyes to see who his caller was. Professor E. Gadd sat in the passenger seat, no one sat in the driver's seat… While Luigi found this slightly strange, Daisy came up and gave him one last hug. "You did great today, congratulations, Babe."

Luigi hugged her back and gave her a light kiss before stepping into the van followed by Marius and Kreacher, who sort of just threw the other two into the back seat. "Okay, Gadd… Let's go home."

"Sure thing, m'boy, Shivers! Onward!" A transparent, blue, slightly-balding ghost in a tuxedo materialized in the driver's seat. "Good evening Master Luigi." He said regally.

"Ah! Shivers… eh… I didn't expect to see you here," Luigi said, genuinely surprised.

"L-Luigi? Th-There's a g-ghost in the s-seat…" Hammer and Breaker stuttered, apparently having woken up after being thrown into the back seat.

"It's alright…" He said to them as they began pulling out of the parking area. Luigi gave one last goodbye wave to the others as they climbed into the other escort vehicle before being sped off into the night by…a ghost.

"I thought it would be a good idea to teach Shivers to drive, so what better time than now, hm?" Gadd asked cheerfully. "So is the team gonna spend the night too, Luigi?"

"Yes… we're all pretty exhaus- Shivers Watch out!" Luigi called as the ghost swerved to avoid hitting a car that was coming towards them.

"No, no Shivers!" Gadd said, grabbing the steering wheel and bringing the van back onto the right ride of the road. "We're not in England!"

"Oh… yes I see…"

Luigi laughed nervously, "We're uh… going to die aren't we?"

"No we're not," Gadd said. They all sat in silence for a few moments. The hammer brothers and Kreacher promptly fell asleep again while Luigi waited for Gadd to finish. The professor appeared to be waiting for the others to fall asleep before he spoke again. "Luigi, lemme tell you something. The other day I- Shivers!" Gadd said, pulling the van back into the right lane again. "Try to keep going straight, okay? Anyway… The other day I was rummaging around in the library and I found a few books…"

Luigi looked at him skeptically. "Books..." he asked flatly.

"Now I know what you're thinking…books, woohoo that's what a library holds… but these are special, I… I can't really explain it. One of them looks like a, a… well, I won't give too much information now because you need to get some rest before I tell ya the full thing, but these books weren't there before. Trust me I spend a good amount of time in there m'self. These are really old documents that I think you might be interested in. 'Course… I still can't figure out how they got in there to begin with."

Shivers gripped the steering wheel tighter.

"Well," Gadd continued. "I won't tell you too much more… you've had a busy day, but keep in mind. These look pretty cool."

"Alright," Luigi said.

"That's all you're gonna say? Ah, uh, right turn here Shivers, remember? 'Alright?'."

"Gadd, honestly. I'm truly interested. I'm just utterly exhausted right now, okay? I just need some sleep and I promise I'll look at them first thing in the morning." Luigi reassured him as they finally pulled in through the gates and up the driveway to the mansion.

Luigi gently woke Kreacher and Marius. "Hey guys, could you help me get the others into the house?" He asked as he got everyone's duffel bags. Once inside the house, several ghosts came and took them off to get cleaned up while Shivers took the bags to the laundry room.

"I'll just go get these things cleaned up, Master Luigi," Shivers said with a bow, "Why don't you go get cleaned up and off to bed."

Luigi didn't want to argue. A hot shower seemed like the best thing in the world.

After getting cleaned up and changing into his night clothes, Luigi fell back onto his bed. He fought off sleep for just a few moments as he mused to himself. _I wonder what Gadd was talking about … hmm. Must be pretty important if Gadd's so Hell-bent on getting me to read it. He usually doesn't care about things like that…eh… Well, I wont give it too much thought… that kind of thing'll keep me up for hours…_ Luigi pulled back the covers and climbed in, wincing slightly from the aches in his muscles. He finally fell into some much needed and greatly welcomed sleep.

* * *

A/N: Ahhh, second story ever. Well, hmmm…. I know this may have been a bit boring, but hey… trust me. It's gonna get better. There will be no set update interval with this. I'll update pretty quickly, but it might not be every week. Just some background: I looooooooooove Luigi and Daisy. Such a good couple.

Next Chapter:

**Chapter 2: Ancient Texts**

Luigi, as per Gadd's wish reads the documents he found. What's so strange is they hold records of an ancient order that had been lost for a millennium.


	2. Ancient Texts

**Chapter 2: Ancient Texts**

The next morning, Luigi was awakened by several things. One, his cell phone was going off, two, a bright ray of sunshine was directly in his eyes and three; the smell of burning food was filling the house. Luigi picked up his phone and flipped it open to see who it was. It was Mario.

He rubbed his face as he answered it. "Hello?"

"Mornin' Champ!"

Luigi paused for a moment. "Morning Bro…" He yawned.

"… You can't tell me you're just waking up Weege…"

"Yeah? Why?"

"You haven't read the paper yet? It's got you plastered all over the front page! Well, that and Gadd's been calling me to complain about you not waking up at the crack of Dawn like you normally do… he keeps grumbling about you sleeping in longer than I…" Mario said. "Still… do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Uhh… no," Luigi lied, looking to the grandfather clack that stood in the corner of the room, which in plain view said 10:30. _My God… I really did oversleep… _

"Well it's 10:30. But the real reason I called is because Peach wanted to invite us over to the castle for a few rounds of tennis."

Luigi inwardly groaned, feeling the sharp pangs in his sore muscles. "Gee Bro, I really would love to… but Gadd's got something we've got to go over, though. He says it's interesting, but I'm pretty sure it's going to be something else on the history of ghosts. Plus, I'm just really not feeling up to par right now."

"Eesh… Yeah I told her you probably wouldn't be feeling good." Mario said. "Well, I got to go. See you later Weege."

"Later."

Luigi closed his phone and rubbed his face again, stopping when his hand brushed against something above his eyebrow. He noted that his eye felt slightly swollen and it wouldn't open all the way. Thankfully it was only slightly puffy. "Ow…" He said as he brushed his hand over his eye again. He got up and walked over to the mirror. Over his gash, it seems, someone had come in during the night and fixed it up. There was a small patch over the cut itself and Luigi felt sure that there were a couple stitches underneath it. The smell of burning food brought him back to his senses. He rushed to the door, grabbed his emerald-green robe and dashed down the hallway to the staircase, pulling it on as he ran. He reached the kitchen slightly out of breath to overhear Shivers scolding someone.

"No, No, don't do that! Oh dear the master isn't going to like this at all!"

"What am I not going to like Shive- Oh my god?" Luigi said as a grin began to spread across his face. The scene before him was rather hilarious. Breaker and Hammer, both caked in flour were dashing about the kitchen trying to make what appeared to be breakfast while dodging Shivers' attempt to capture them. "What on Earth are you guys doing?"

"We're Making Breakfast!" They both chirped happily. Shivers grumbled, "Making a mess is more like it."

Luigi laughed quietly as another ghost appeared beside him. She had beautiful blonde hair and pale almond-shaped eyes, a stark contrast to her milky-white skin. "What is going on in here?" She asked. Her voice was calm, somewhat dreamy. It matched her flowing red dress.

Luigi jumped a bit at her initial appearance, "Oh, good morning Melody." She turned her eyes to the young man. "Good morning Luigi." Her eyes lingered on him momentarily before turning back to the scene before them. She had hardly seen him without his hat and he looked rather handsome without it. "Oh, Luigi… I stitched your cut up last night… you were bleeding a bit so I just fixed it up… was that okay?"

Luigi smiled. That was one mystery solved. "Of course Mel, thanks. I've been needing to have it looked at anyways. Thanks." He turned back to the hammer bros. "Listen you guys… why don't you go into town and just pick us up something to eat from a takeout?"

Hammer and Breaker looked at each other before nodding. "Alrighty!" They dashed off towards the garage. Shivers looked towards the door through which they left and Luigi, back and forth until he sighed, grabbed the car keys off of the counter which amazingly managed to not get misplaced, and flew through the wall into the garage. Luigi and Melody listened as the car motor started then drove away before they moved further into the kitchen to start the cleanup.

"I'll never understand those two," Marius said as he wandered through the doorway. He made his way over to the sink and picked up a sponge to help clean. In about ten minutes, Luigi, Melody and Marius had the kitchen back to its spotless state. A few pans had to be thrown away, but that was because whatever the twins were cooking had fused itself to the metal. It didn't even come off when Luigi fireballed it.

"Thanks for the help guys, I really appreciate it," Luigi said. Melody and Marius smiled at him.

"Luigi! Finally I find you!" Gadd appeared in the doorway with his arms crossed. "If I recall correctly, you promised-"

"Yes Elvin, I remember." After a quick adieu to his friends, he followed the small old man into the study, where he closed the large mahogany door with a snick and locked it securely.

"Now m'boy," Gadd said as he climbed into one of the green-velvet chairs. Luigi followed and took the empty one next to him. The table in front of him was piled with dusty yellowed parchment and at the bottom, a huge, moth-eaten, black leather-bound book. Gadd fished through the stack until he found what he was looking for. "Luigi… have you ever heard of the Priory of Eidolon?"

Luigi scanned the parchment before looking up. Being Multi-lingual was coming in handy, for the papers were written in what appeared to be a form of Latin. "No… looks like some kind of knighthood," he said, examining the brittle wax seal on the back. _Curious though, the seal has a Boo on it,_ he thought, _so this does have to do with ghosts… Great…_

"Exactly right! They were the royal family's secret keepers. Y'see, boy, there was only one actual 'knight' at a time, but that one person was a powerful mage and warrior, and extremely loyal to the crown. These documents also said…ah, right here…somewhere," He said pointing to a place on the parchment before continuing "That all ghost and incorporeal beings owed their allegiance to whomever held the title of 'Knight of Eidolon.' They were the royal family's uh, secret service if you will." Luigi looked a little uneasy as he carefully removed the book from the bottom of the stack, "That one I was just looking at said that they just… disappeared. What happened?"

"Well… no one knows for _sure_ what happened. But the last time anyone saw one of the knights was almost…hmmm, fifteen hundred years ago," Gadd said pulling his laptop out from behind a chair. He started it up and began looking into a couple files he had.

Luigi thought for a moment, "That in perspective was not very long ago." He wiped some dust away from the large gold title: "Esse quam videri."

"Good luck getting that thing open. No lock, no chain, nothin'! And I still can't get it open," Gadd grumbled into the monitor's screen.

Luigi placed his hand on the edge of the cover and gently lifted. He breathed a sigh of relief when the cover flopped open and displayed a blank page. Luigi's sigh turned into a surprised gasp as words appeared, seeming to seep up from the page itself. They read:

_Um Vitam Habeant_

_Give them life_

_The Priory has returned…_

_Long live the royal family!_

"Good Lord!" Gadd exclaimed running over. "Luigi ya did it! But what did you do, boy?"

"Nothing… I just opened it… what does it mean 'The Priory has Returned'?"

Gadd shrugged, "I dunno. Flip through it and see if you find anything!"

Luigi turned several pages at once. They were all blank. "Hmmm… this isn't some kind of joke is it?"

Gadd looked utterly speechless as he looked back and forth from Luigi to the book and back to Luigi. "I…I don't know…But, it obviously has to have something. You and I both saw the words appear at the beginning, right?"

Luigi nodded slowly before rubbing his chin and closing the book. The pair sat in silence momentarily. "I'll talk to Madame Clairvoya next time I'm down in that part of the house." He said standing and tucking the book underneath his arm. After Gadd had built Luigi's new mansion, he revived a few certain ghosts that Luigi had personally asked for. Shivers, Melody, Biff Atlas, and Madame Clairvoya were the ones he chose. The others were still in their paintings, locked away down in Gadd's lab.

Gadd sighed. "Yeah, I guess so… I just find it strange that there isn't anything in there."

"No there's something here… it just probably needs a little jumpstart," Luigi said as he left the room. Once outside, Luigi walked up the stairs carrying the book. For a book that size, it was surprisingly light. _What does this have to do with me though?_ He thought. _I still have a bit of trouble dealing with Shivers being around, but all ghosts and incorporeal beings? Man… I know I can't ever do that job…Still, I am curious as to what it's all about. _

Luigi went to his room and changed into a faded pair of jeans and a blue and green t shirt before heading back towards the first floor. On his way back down, he ran into Marius, but Kreacher was nowhere in sight. "Marius," He questioned, "Where's Kreacher?"

"He had to go back to Croc Isle," He replied. Marius gave him a quick smile before slipping out the kitchen door to the backyard. The brothers and Shivers would be back any moment now, so Luigi knew he had to find Clairvoya before they got back or else he would never get the chance to find out what this mess was all about. He headed towards the back of the house and through a heavy wooden door which led into a very large and very dark room.

"I really wish I'd brought my flashlight," He said, rubbing his thumb and forefinger together until a bright green ball of flame appeared in his hand. Cupping the light in his hand, he walked over and lit candelabra. Once lit, he extinguished the flame and picked the candle up and made his way over to a large oaken table. A large glass ball sat on a small diadem before him. "Guess I'll have to improvise." He extended his palm which had begun to glow slightly with static electricity. He gently placed his palm on the surface of the ball. He gripped the candelabra's base as the ball got brighter and brighter until a large flash occurred. An angry voice filled the room, causing Luigi to tremble, "Who Dares disturb my slumber! I, the all knowing seer, Madame Clairvoya!"

Luigi took a shaky breath and stared into the glowing crystal, "M-Madame… i-it's me…"

"Ah!" The voice changed instantly into one of surprise. "Luigi! My word I am truly sorry, dear. Please have a seat." The light flew out of the ball and materialized into an ethereal being who seated herself into a large decorative chair that sat on the opposite side of the table. Her golden, Almond-shaped eyes watched him as he seated himself into a chair across from her. She wore a cloth mask over her nose and mouth, a design on it unlike anything Luigi had ever seen before and gypsy-like clothing that seemed to scream out the fact that she was a fortune-teller. The room itself was stuffy and it reeked of incense. Luigi took several deep breaths to calm his nerves.

"I'm sorry, dear, what is it that you wish to know?" Clairvoya asked as Luigi placed the Black book next to her crystal ball.

"I have a feeling that you might know what this is…" Luigi said pushing it to her and opening it to the first blank page where the words from before appeared. Madame Clairvoya was silent for several minutes before Luigi cleared his throat. She sighed before speaking, "Yes… I do know. I suppose Gadd discovered it before you did, correct?" Luigi nodded. "He has no idea how powerful this secret is. I asked Shivers to deliver that directly to you." Luigi looked at her a moment. She knew something.

"What is going on, Clairvoya? I want to know…"

"Luigi… what I tell you in this room, stays in this room…This is the record book of the Priory of Eidolon. It houses all of their secrets of sorcery, maps and their history, however, it will only show it to the reader if you show the book who's boss," She winked at him. "I'm going to show you something now…" She tapped the surface of the crystal ball and instantly all light in the room was snuffed out. Luigi watched as she raised a bejeweled hand to her forehead and touched the spot between her eyes. Instantly, a strange mark burned to life. The mark itself resembled a very basic Triquetra, a somewhat triangular Celtic knot. Her fingers dwindled on the mark for a moment before touching the ball.

She waved her hands over it a few times before images began to appear. "Please…" She droned, "Gaze with me."

Luigi shrugged and stared at the images folding out before him.

* * *

A lone Paragoomba fluttered desperately over the landscape of Grassland towards part of a large army that sat nestled between the hills. Panting restlessly, it landed at the feet of a rather large Dark Blue Yoshi, upon which sat a well-armored man in a cobalt-blue surcoat. The coat was emblazoned with gold decorative trim; on the back it formed the image of a rather angry boo. A large sword sat in a large black sheath strapped to his side. He gripped the reins of his Yoshi with one hand as he bent down and scooped up the goomba with his other hand. The goomba lay panting for a few moments before looking up at the man.

"Sir… The Koopaharian army has almost reached the… the Imperial defenses," it wheezed.

"That'll do, Thank you," The man said before handing the exhausted goomba off to a small group of boo soldiers. The man closed his sapphire-blue eyes for a moment as a gust of warm air buffeted the congregation. The savanna winds were heavy with the smell of rain and well-oiled steel.

"My lord, what are your orders?" Questioned a large boo with a triquetra mark on his forehead.

"Alert the troops. We're moving out," He answered, turning his gaze back to the hazy prairie as the boo floated back towards the congregation of Toads, Boo's, and various other spirits. The man closed his eyes again. He had a rather handsome face with wavy dark brown hair that was graying at the temples a bit, clear blue eyes, and a rather prominent nose.

"Something vexes thee, my lord?" Asked an aging toad in a sorcerer's robe. He too bore the triquetra mark signifying that he was a mage and also a disciple of the priory. The knight looked at him and gave him a tired smile before touching the mark on his forehead. The toad mage copied him. The knight's mark differed slightly in that the triquetra had a circle around the center. "It's just the prophecy." He said uneasily.

"I'm sure the star spirits will see to it that everything goes according to plan," The toad reassured him. Still, the knight closed his eyes, "So shall it be written, so shall it be done… If I must give my life to see to it that the kingdom remains intact… so be it…Ancestors, preserve us!"

"My lord, we're ready!" Came the chorus of the army lieutenants. The knight drew his sword and raised it. "Move out!" He commanded. They took off at a hard gallop; those who could fly were doing so while others who couldn't sat astride Yoshis. Weapons were drawn as they came nearer and nearer to the enemy forces.

"Go!" Shouted the knight. All boos and spirits rushed forwards suddenly into the mass of koopas, hammer bros., and lakitus, teeth bared and eyes glowing. The mages fired their magic left and right as the knight and his Yoshi leapt into the fray, sword swinging wildly. The battle raged. Hundreds of soldiers both from the invaders and the combined imperial forces of the Eidolon and royal army were slain. A sudden bolt of lightning out of nowhere sent the knight leaping off of his steed and onto the ground in a desperate dodge.

He gritted his teeth as he picked himself up and retrieved his sword. He breathed one word as his assailant came into view. "Kamek…" A magikoopa wearing a black battle robe, armored breastplate and helm floated up to him on a broomstick. Seemingly oblivious to the sounds of battle around them, the two stared each other down.

Kamek took out a horn and blasted a loud call on it. Seemingly all at once, the goomba troops that had appeared so loyal to the king just moments before began turning on the very armies that they served.

"What?" Exclaimed the knight. Kamek laughed, "They are deviants now… and you're outnumbered…" he snarled.

Several goombas jumped on him at that moment. "Numbers be damned!" He hissed throwing them off of him. He roared angrily as he charged Kamek while Goombas tried to pile on him…

Suddenly, the ball dimmed, then went black…

* * *

"Wha? Hey!" Luigi exclaimed as he rubbed his eyes. "What happens next?"

"I apologize… my powers are not what they used to be," Madame Clairvoya said as she rubbed her eyes. "The man you saw in the blue surcoat was Kalliel, The last true Knight of Eidolon."

"What about Kamek? Why was he there?" Luigi stammered.

"One and a half thousand years ago, there was a great war between the denizens of dark world and the mushroom kingdom. It was long before Bowser, mind you, but sadly it was also the war in which the goombas deviated away from our forces. He was… killed that day."

Luigi looked at her strangely before standing and taking hold of the book. "I don't understand… What's all this got to do with me?" Madame Clairvoya gave him a flat look. Luigi picked up immediately what she meant, "No…No you can't possibly say that I'm going to pick up where this guy left off, do you?"

"The book responded to you didn't it?"

"Well, yeah… but it didn't say anything other than 'Um Vitam Habeant,Give them life, The Priory has returned…Long live the royal family…'"

"Didn't I tell you earlier that you have to _make_ the book reveal its information? It won't show it to anyone else but you." She sat silent there for a moment. Luigi shook his head, "I don't know…" He said, making his way over to the door. "I don't even know what the Hell is going on!" He closed the door and went back up to his room. "This is all too much…" He mumbled rubbing his head. He needed something to clear his mind of this whole mess. He decided to give Daisy a call to see if she was doing anything that night. "Luigi, what are you getting yourself into?"

Madame Clairvoya leaned back in her chair before raising one hand to her mark and placing the other on the crystal ball… "Oh, Kalliel… He is confused, but we've found him at long last! I fear the worse… I fear that Kamek will discover this."

A man's voice came quietly from the ball… "So it would seem..."

* * *

A/N: This story will move rather quickly I'm afraid. I won't rush, don't worry, but it goes much deeper than you think. Just a quick note here, Eidolon is another word for Spirit or Ghost. It just sounds cool  There will be some love in the next chapter, so the romance thing is true.

**Chapter 3: There's always a Silver Lining **

Luigi discovers the significance of the information Madame Clairvoya revealed. But why is she concerned about Kamek? Luigi is feeling a deep sense of confusion as to why Clairvoya would think of him to be the new line of the Knights of Eidolon.


	3. Always a Silver Lining

**Chapter 3: There's always a Silver Lining**

Luigi trudged up the stairs and back out towards the kitchen to see if Breaker and Hammer were back with breakfast. Careful to keep the book hidden from prying eyes, he peeked around the corner to find that they indeed were back.

"Hey Weege! We got the food!" Breaker beamed holding up the takeout bags.

Luigi smiled. Their antics never failed to cheer him up. "You guys go ahead and eat; I need to make a call."

Marius spoke up, "When we're done, I hope you don't mind, Luigi, but I'll need to get these knuckleheads back home." He said as he gently bopped them on the head with his fists.

Luigi nodded. "I don't mind Marius, thanks." He gave them one last smile and disappeared up the stairs as the boys dug out the food. Once upstairs, he entered his room, tossed the book and his hat onto his bed and took out his cell phone, dialing the castle phone number.

"Hello?... Yes, hi, is Daisy there?...oh…She's out, okay… Oh, this is Luigi. When she gets in could you please tell her I called?... uh-huh… yeah. Thanks Peach." He closed his phone.

Luigi sighed and rubbed his face as he walked over to a cedar chest in the corner near the window. He entered the combination of the lock and opened it. Inside there were a bunch of pictures of him and Mario as well as a few large stacks of newspaper clippings with large pictures of his brother giving thumbs up to the camera man. Others had pictures of Luigi in his soccer uniform, with his foot on the ball, giving a debonair smile while his team stood on either side giving the Peace sign and the Rock On symbol. Luigi smiled when he saw this before shifting the papers aside.

Beneath the papers was a piece of cloth which Luigi carefully folded back to expose his two most prized belongings other than his hat. One was a silver, guard-hilted dirk which sat inside an ornate polished silver scabbard. A black stone at the very tip of the worn handle reflected his image as good as any mirror. He held that in one hand as he pulled the second thing out; a picture frame.

Luigi stood up and walked over to his bed where he turned around and flopped down on his back. He looked at the two figures in the picture. One was a tall, somewhat thickset man wearing a black Napoleonic, Double-breasted jacket and black slacks. The other was a beautiful, thin, dark-haired woman in a dark-green Victorian dress, who barely came up to his shoulder.

Luigi turned the picture over and looked at the words neatly written on the back of the frame: _Delilah and Apollinare Mario._ Mario and Luigi's parents. The proof rested mostly with their father because of the nose, anybody could see that. Luigi closed his eyes and placed a hand on his forehead. Normally when he needed some time to think, he came up to his room and stared at this picture. The only problem was, whenever he saw this picture, he was filled with a powerful sense of grief. The dagger though, for some reason brought comfort when he held it. He swallowed and sighed. A tiny knock at the door made him jump suddenly.

"Uh-uh… come in!" He called, placing the picture on his bedside drawer behind the reading lamp, pushing the book beneath the bed, and shoving the dagger underneath his pillow. The door opened to reveal the only person whom he really wanted to see at the moment; Daisy.

"Hey, mind if I come in?" She asked giving him a smile.

"Of course not."

"Oh… I didn't wake you up did I?" She asked as she sat down next to him.

"No. I was just thinking," Luigi said. _Well, it's the truth... I'm not lying to her. Clairvoya did ask me not to tell anyone about it yet anyway. _"Did Peach give you my message?"

"Oh, no, I was just coming over here to see how you were doing after yesterday."

Daisy smiled at him before leaning her head over onto his shoulder. They both stared out the window at the lush green foliage of Forever Forest for a moment before Luigi spoke.

"Hey, Dais… you doing anything tonight?" She shook her head. "Well, I was just wondering if you'd like to go get dinner together or something."

Daisy grinned at him, "That sounds great Luigi! I really need to get out of the castle for a few hours... So, does 7–ish sound good?" She asked, standing up.

Luigi got up and stretched, he was still sore after yesterday. He walked with her to the door with his hat in his hand. "Sounds perfect." Daisy turned to face him and stared at him for several moments.

Luigi raised an eyebrow, "What is it?"

"Just hold still," Daisy said before she reached up andkissed him on the lips. Luigi was shocked at first, but nonetheless tenderly returned it. When they broke away, Luigi calmly asked, "What was that for?"

Daisy gave him one last hug before stepping over to the door. "I dunno, you just looked like you needed it."

Luigi chuckled a bit before placing his hat back on his head. "Thanks… Ireally didneed it." He paused for a moment as he waited for the blush to die down in his face. "I have a shortcut you can use to get back to the palace." He offered her his arm, which she gladly took, and walked down the stairs. They passed through the front door and onto the front lawn.

"Okay," Luigi said as he stopped on a random spot on the grass.

Daisy gave him a coy look, "Very funny, Weege."

Luigi shrugged, "Who's laughing?" He tapped his foot on the ground a few times and a large green warp pipe popped out of the ground just a few feet away.

"Um, Luigi… I've never used one of those before…" Daisy said uneasily.

"Oh…well, all you've got to do is just climb in and, well… It's a lot like a water slide, except without the water, and it's more fun." He gave her a reassuring smile as he helped her up.

"Okay, if you say so… I'll see you at seven!" She smiled and gave him a wave before putting both feet into the pipe. She disappeared with a "WHOO!" as the pipe sunk back into the ground.

Luigi sighed happily and brought one hand back to his cheek as he walked back to the house. Oh, how she never failed to lift his spirits. He waltzed back into the dining room through the side door and found a sticky note on the table. The writing was organized and neat, so it probably belonged to Marius.

_Dear Luigi,_

_The boys finished early, so I went ahead and took them back home. Thanks for letting us stay the night and congrats on winning the cup. _

_Thanks again,_

_Marius_

Beneath Marius' signature, were Breaker and Hammer's names scrawled along the bottom.

Luigi looked over at the clock on the wall. He still had a few hours left. Gadd would be in his lab in the basement, Biff would be in the weight room, Melody would most likely be in the instrument room and Shivers was probably wandering the grounds checking the gardens, so he would have an excellent opportunity to look at the book again. Once upstairs, Luigi flopped onto the bed with a contented smile on his face. With that kiss, all of the troubles from the morning seemed to just flow away. After lying like that for a few minutes, he reached under the bed and pulled out the book.

"Now, let's see if we can't figure out what you are, my little friend," he said as he reached into the bedside drawer and pulled out a small metal box. Inside were things like a black-light pen, tweezers, saline solution, etc. He opened the book and flipped through a couple pages before stopping. He removed the black-light pen and turned it on. With the pen in one hand, he slowly turned several pages to make sure anything didn't pop up like last time. Nothing.

"God…" Luigi sighed as he put the pen down, "This might take a little longer than I thought… I just know there's something in here, darn it!"

Over the next hour, he used every method and object that he thought could reveal at least something. Nothing happened. What was the most peculiar was that even normal pen ink, highlighter, and even sharpie ink wouldn't make any marks on the old parchment pages. Luigi sighed in frustration. That sigh turned into a small growl. Luigi allowed electricity to lightly charge his hand before he jabbed the book with one finger. There was a small blue flash and the book jumped off the bed and onto the floor.

"Oops." He certainly didn't mean to do that. He got up off of the bed and went over to where the book was. A sharp gasp escaped from him when he saw it. In the tiny, ornate grooves on the cover, there was what looked like pure White-blue light. It filled every crevice in the leather and in the center, it followed the grooves to create a perfect triquetra. Luigi extended a slightly trembling hand and touched the cover. It was warm, but not as hot as he had expected. As he picked it up, the lamp on the table flickered and went out.

"What the-?" Luigi muttered as he placed the book gently down on the bed. He went to the window and closed the drapes. Now the room was plunged into darkness except for the brilliant lights on the book. Luigi paused for a moment with his hands still on the drawstrings of the curtains. He took a deep breath to calm himself. "Now we're getting somewhere!" He whispered loudly. He turned back to the book and made his way over to the bed. Before he sat down, however, movements in one of the far corners made him halt. Luigi swallowed and looked up. He covered his mouth to stifle a scream. Standing in the corner, faintly illuminated by the book's light, stood the man from the crystal ball, only he was stoic and pearly white.

Luigi began trembling uncontrollably. The ghost raised and extended its hand. Luigi blinked and the apparition disappeared before his very eyes. "O-oh…G-God…" He breathed. He sat down on the bed, reached under the pillow, and pulled out the dagger. He kept it in his hand as he reached for the book and took several slow deep breaths. As much as he hated that machine, he wished he had his poltergust with him.

He waited for his trembling to cease before he glanced around the room and picked up the book. He carefully opened the cover. The words from before reappeared before the book's pages began giving off a bright light. The pages began turning themselves, revealing their contents one by one. Luigi stared in awe as detailed maps, riddles, a few prophecies, and even an entire section devoted to the fauna of the known world appeared to him. The book then began revealing detailed instructions on how to use magic and fuse spells to create powerful incantations. Luigi saw something of interest. Directions on how to fuse fire and lightning, two elements he was the most adept at using. Interesting enough, he thought, the pages were turning so quickly, but the words were being immediately memorized. It didn't take long for him to get a headache. The pages and their bright light kept turning. Luigi's head felt like a thousand white-hot wires had replaced his brain and his eyes were brimming with tears by the time he reached the end.

The last two pages revealed the next big clue. The next to last page, held a drawn diagram of a large stone panel in a large room. The panel had the image ofthe fangedboo on it, surrounded by ornate craftsmanship and runes. Several quick words quickly burned themselves into his mind before quickly flipping to the last page revealing a small prophecy, which surprisingly enough did not get crammed into his head.

Through tear-filled eyes, he stared at the flowing words.

_Ancient Shadow's call to one,_

_Shall be sundered and undone,_

_By ghost-lord's hand,_

_Or else by none_

"Strange rhyming meter…" Luigi muttered as he desperately massaged his sore head. The book immediately snapped shut and the lines of fire faded. The only sound in the dimly lit room was Luigi's heavy breathing. "Ow…Ow, ow, ow…" He groaned. "Ow... what was that?" The book had basically forced its contents into his memory. How? Luigi would probably never be able to tell.

As Luigi's eyes adjusted to the darkness again, he weakly pushed himself up to a sitting position and felt around on his desk for the lamp switch. A small 'click', and the room was filled with the soft orange glow. Luigi breathed a sigh of relief.

"Light chases shadow away…" He muttered. "Hey wait a minute…" That was a line from one of the pages the book had forcefully crammed into his head. Now with a chance to think about it, he mentally poured over the information that was now his to know. How to control ghosts? It was simply breathtaking. "Incredible…"

The ghost appeared again, only this time, closer. At the foot of the bed to be exact. This time, there was nothing to stop him from crying out. All in a split second, Luigi's hand flew to the dagger's pommel and with a loud 'shink!' the silver blade was out and pointing at the ghost. _What the hell am I doing? It's a spirit, it can't be harmed._

The ghost raised a finger and pointed at the dagger's scabbard. Luigi kept the blade pointed at its chest and his eyes forward. The ghost pointed again. Luigi's eyes quickly darted to the scabbard where it was pointing. Emblazoned on the ornamentation itself was the familiar triquetra. Luigi, by now, was trembling terribly.

"W-What do you want?... I-I…" His voice faltered momentarily and the ghost gave him a sympathetic look. _Well, he doesn't exactly act like the old house ghosts…_ Luigi thought.

"Speak! I-I ch-charge you!" The dagger emitted a faint glow. Luigi straightening his arm and tightening his grip on the hilt. The ghost immediately took several steps back and clutched his throat. He gave several racking coughs before breathing and coughing some more.

"Augh… ah… Tha-… thank you…" It finally croaked out with a voice that resembled several rusty hinges. He coughed some more. "Ack…(Cough) I can still talk… hmm, amazing. After all these (Cough) years…I mean, I… (cough) could talk, but only… telepathically. Frankly I don't like doing that… it sort of freaks me out." He turned and looked at Luigi. "I'm amazed, young man that you know so much already about the key… and yet you were not endowed with the mark."

Luigi sat for a minute, confusion filling the space where terror was currently. "Huh?"

The ghost looked perplexed. "You mean…Ack… you don't know how to use it?"

"What's it?"

_Ah, dear Clairvoya was right… the boy is confused,_ he thought. He waved his hand, "You can put it down now, Luigi. I solemnly swear that I shall not hurt you." Luigi lowered the dagger. "Ah, how rude of me, I am Kalliel, last knight of the Priory of Eidolon." He gave a formal bow.

"Finally, someone who knows what's going on!" Luigi said, the fear slowly subsiding inside of him.

"I… beg your pardon?" Kalliel asked.

"Oh. I'm sorry. You see, Professor Gadd's got stars in his eyes, because he thinks of this as some sort of jackpot for ghost-hunting, and Clairvoya only answers my questions in riddles. Well, I was…uh, hoping that you could, um… well, explain to me just what the heck is going on!" Luigi stated. "Forgive my bluntness, my lord." He added, this man was a knight after all. Kalliel waved a hand, "you have no need to refer to me as lord, for I have not been around for over 1500 years… you see, I-"

Kalliel's head jerked towards the door with a small gasp as Gadd's voice called out for Luigi. "I must away now. If you want your questions answered, seek me out… I believe the book has given you the directions." With that, he vanished once more.

"Hey! Wait!" Luigi tried to get him, but it was too late. He was gone.

Luigi couldn't feel his arm. Looking down, he saw that it was because he was clutching the book for dear life. Professor Gadd and Shivers both burst through the door. Gadd pointed the nozzle of the Poltergust 3000 around the room. "Alright, sonny! Where is it?"

"It's okay guys, really."

"But, Master Luigi, I could've sworn I heard you scream," Shivers said, glancing around the room.

Gadd rolled his eyes and looked at the book in Luigi's arms. His face perked up. "Well! Looks like you've been gettin' to it, huh? Did you find anything?"

Luigi shrugged before shutting his eyes and opening the book.

"Luigi? What are you doin' boy?" Gadd asked.

"Ah! Aheh… sorry. It's just when I opened it earlier, everything became really…really bright. Then, in a few minutes, I guess… the book filled itself out and… closed itself." Luigi held up the book to show them, slowly turning several pages. They were all filled out top to bottom with fine print.

Gadd shook his head before cuffing Luigi on the arm, "You did it, m'boy! Ha-ha! You did it!"

Luigi smiled. "Maybe, but then Kalliel appeared-"

"What? Jumpin' Jehosiphat!" Gadd exclaimed, dropping the nozzle of the vacuum.

"Mmmhmm," Luigi muttered. "Speaking of which," He put the book carefully down on the bed, put the dagger back in the sheath, getting a strange look from Gadd in the process. "Where in the devil did you get that?"

Luigi shrugged, then bolted out the door and down the stairs.

"Wait, Luigi, where the heck are you goin'?"

Paying no heed, Luigi headed down the main flights of stairs, then to a door at the back of the house and down some more stairs to the cellar. Luigi then passed some wine casks and through the door into Gadd's subterraneanlaboratory. He stood stock still in the center of the room.

Panting, Gadd and shivers appeared a few moments later. "Luigi? Wha- what's wrong… oy… I need to siddown…"

Luigi finished muttering to himself. "The book said that the old house where the knights took up residence sat here, on this very spot. There was a map and some coordinates. I remember that."

Gadd thought for a moment, "Maybe that's why it was such a hotspot for the boos and portrait ghosts. Oy... but this was rather unexpected."

"Exactly. What I saw was a drawing of some kind of stone tablet. Should be on the floor somewhere over…" He took a few steps to the stack of wine barrels in the corner. "…here somewhere… I think."

"You... think?" Gadd questioned.

Luigi moved his hand up to his chin… "I'm not positive…" He bent over and took a closer look at the floor. He carefully moved several barrels over and bent down. "Gimme a hand, guys." Luigi said, shouldering one of the machines sitting on the ground next to the barrels. This cellar, for some reason, did not disappear with the rest of the house after Luigi had purged it of ghosts. While finding this rather peculiar, Luigi didn't think much on it.

"Hey, be careful now, boy!" Gadd said as Shivers went to help him move the machinery. Luigi strained and pushed and finally felt it slide a few feet. He and Shivers moved several more barrels while Gadd watched them intently. Shivers floated back a few feet to give Luigi some room. With his foot, Luigi wiped some dust off of the floor, then extended his palm and dropped a green fireball on the area, clearing it of dust, debris and algae. A triumphant smile crossed his lips. Gadd and Shivers went to go have a look. Both jaws dropped in amazement at the seal on the ground. "What is it?" Gadd asked, surprised.

Luigi breathed one word in the dank air. "Bingo…"

* * *

A/N: Ah, haven't really come up with a name for chapter 4 yet. But... heh... I need to stop doing the spoilers. Ah well. I'll do it one more time, just for the hell of it. 

Luigi and the others open the stone tablet, to find something that will put all of the pieces of this strange puzzle together. The result is a very dark outlook, I'm afraid. Later on, Luigi finds that he must make the decision whether to tell Daisy about the Priory, or not.


	4. Midnight Waltz

A/N: Sorry for the wait. I've had driver's Ed… blah. What crappiness, yes? So I made this one especially long. Oh, and the Lyrics of "Your Song" Don't belong to me they belong to Elton John and Ewan McGregor. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 4: Midnight Waltz **

"Bingo…" Luigi breathed. Gadd and Shivers both looked in awe at the stone tablet on the ground. It was about twice as large as the other stone tiles and beautifully crafted. It bore the image of the boo with the gaping mouth in the center; the same image that was in the book.

"Well, it's nice…but what is it, Sonny?" Gadd questioned, scratching his chin.

Luigi's smile dropped… "Uh…um…I…I, uh…aheh…" Gadd flattened his eyebrows as Luigi tried to remember what the book said about this thing. "It's… a seal…"

Gadd paused for a moment, "Coat of arms, or vault kind of seal?"

"Both…" Luigi said quietly as Gadd bent over next to it and traced his finger over it.

"Well, that's that then! Let's get to work!" He exclaimed as Luigi checked his watch. "Oh…"

"Work, sir?" Shivers questioned. Gadd nodded, "Yup, we gotta figure out a way to get this thing open. Sonny? You with us?"

"Ah, sorry guys… I need to get ready for my date tonight, maybe some other time, 'Kay?"

Gadd shrugged, "Suit yourself, have fun tonight, alrighty?" He sent a beaming smile at the young man before Luigi went back upstairs. "Now then," He turned to the ghostly butler, "Let's get some coffee going and… see if we can weasel Biff out of the weight room," Gadd said, rubbing his hands together.

Back upstairs, Luigi was frantically going through his closet trying to find a nice shirt. He had already laid out a pair of dark-blue jeans, but he needed a nice-looking shirt. "Oh, thank god…" He sighed as he pulled out a long-sleeved, dark-green button up. He gently picked up the jeans and hurried to the bathroom for a shower. After a few minutes, he came out, dressed in the shirt and pants ensemble, hurriedly combing his hair. So many questions and it was only 6:30. Shirt tucked in or not? Hat? "Okay…" Luigi said as he studied himself in the mirror. "Hah, Once you hose yourself down, you look pretty nice," He said to his reflection. He ultimately decided on no hat, and not tucking his shirt in. He stepped back and looked at himself. Semi-formal, but casual enough to be comfortable.

He looked at his watch again; 6:45. He needed to go, now. Luigi ran down the stairs, calling out a last goodbye to the Professor and Shivers. He locked the front door and headed to the patch of grass where the warp pipe was earlier. As if on cue, it emerged from the tuft of grass. Luigi crouched down and leapt into the air and into the pipe.

Luigi shut his eyes tightly against the free-fall feeling of warping. "Castle, castle, castle…" He focused as his direction turned several degrees to the east. Several seconds later, he felt himself thrown into the air as he left the pipe. He crossed his arms protectively over his chest and did several flips before landing perfectly on the ground.

He jogged quickly up to the front gates, which were opened by the toad guard after a chipper "Good evening," from the both of them. Luigi stepped into the grandeur of the castle's front foyer.

"Hey Luigi!" Barked a high, cheerful voice. Luigi turned to see Toad briskly walking over to him, waving.

"Hey, toad," He smiled before continuing, "Is Daisy anywhere around?"

"Yeah, she's…" He paused, "Right there!" He said as he pointed to the top of the staircase.

"Hey, Luigi!" Daisy called as she headed down the stairs towards him. Luigi blinked a few times. She looked beautiful. She wore a thigh-length, V-necked, yellow dress and her usual earrings. No make up, as usual; not that she needed it. Luigi felt a small blush creep into his face before he cleared his throat. "Hey Dais… you look…great." Luigi inwardly groaned as he offered her his arm. _Come on! You could have thought of a better compliment than that!_

"Thanks, Sweetie," She said, slipping her arm into his. "Let's get out of here before Toadsworth shows up," Daisy whispered. The three of them chuckled as Toad led them outside of the castle.

"Have fun guys!" Toad said as he waved them off. Before walking off, Daisy turned, "Thanks Toad, just tell Toadsworth I'm out with Luigi!" Toad responded with a thumbs up before scurrying back inside.

"Boy, I'll tell you what, I know for a fact that once I get back I'll be getting it from the old guy," Daisy laughed. Luigi nodded, "He's a little too strict for me." The two of them shared a laugh as they walked down the road into Toad Town. After a few minutes of strolling down the pale, cobblestone walkways, the couple arrived at a restaurant on the riverfront, aptly named, Creek side. Despite its name, everyone in Toad Town knew it for its exceptionally good food and spectacular view.

Their waiter led them out to the balcony, where they ordered their drinks and food. The waiter left and returned quickly with their drinks before hurrying off again.

Luigi leaned comfortably back in his chair before Daisy started up the conversation on the topic of sports, which presently, ended up on the subject of Luigi's recent winning of the Star Cup. Through the conversation while Daisy excitedly recounted his impressive acrobatics and exceptional leadership skills, Luigi found himself becoming very bashful.

"Daisy, really," He said, a blush tingeing his cheeks, "I wasn't that great… Besides, you're not giving enough credit to the boys. I really couldn't have done it without them." He smiled warmly at her as the burning in his face died down. Daisy sighed as she shook her head, "You really are too modest, Luigi," she laughed. She watched him as he laughed and settled back in his chair. That was just one of the many reasons she loved him so much. That and the fact that he was open minded. She knew at one time, he had a major crush on Peach. While that bothered her slightly at first, as their relationship grew, she thought less and less of it. She had even admitted to him that when she was rescued from Tatanga years ago, she had a crush on Mario. Looking back on it, she wondered how she managed to do that. Mario was a great guy, but sometimes he could be really annoying, especially during sports seasons. Luigi, at least kept himself and his ego in check.

Not only that, but he was downright handsome. He was taller than she was, much thinner than his brother, he had a strong jaw, and dark brown hair, but his eyes were the same color as Mario's; that deep, sapphire blue. Something Luigi also had was a more relaxed gaze. Whilst Mario always had a determined gleam in his eyes, Luigi's gaze was more or less relaxed, calm.

Daisy took one more sip of her soda before getting up. "I'll be right back, please excuse me," she added politely as she rose from the table. "Of course," Luigi nodded.

Daisy left for the restroom, leaving Luigi alone for several moments. He gently leaned his head back and looked up into the evening sky. The sun hadn't fully set yet, so it sent streaks of red and orange across the purpling sky. The warm, early September breeze ruffled his hair as he looked back to the table with a small smile on his face. In just about a week and a half, he would turn 25. "I feel so old," he chuckled to himself. A familiar ring tone met his ears, jerking him back to his senses. He quickly whipped the phone out and answered with a polite, "Hello?"

He paused, his tone becoming level. "Mario… please, not now… I'm on a date right now, I-…Boos, where?" His expression became serious. "How did you come across this?"

"I don't-a know, bro. All I'm-a sayin' is that there were a couple of them headed in the direction of-a your place." Luigi paused again, thinking. "I'll keep my eye out for them… but I can't drop what I'm doing right now."

"Nobody's asking you to, Weege," Mario said reassuringly. "Peach just wanted me to call and give-a you a heads-up, just in-a case you see anything funny a-going on."

"Thanks, and tell her I said thanks, too. Oh, where are you guys now?"

"We're headed to Club 64 for a few hours. Why?" Mario questioned curiously.

Luigi smiled after a brief pause. "We'll meet you guys there in about 45 minutes." He gave a quick goodbye before hanging up and sliding the phone back in his pocket.

"The clothes of your age puzzle me so…" A voice said from Daisy's seat. A man's voice. Luigi looked up and did a double take before he realized who was sitting right in front of him. "Kalliel?" The look on his face was that of extreme befuddlement. "Wha-What are you doing here?"

He was different from last time. He was clad in a blue linen button-up and tan slacks; a stark contrast to the heavy canvas surcoat and chain mail from earlier. "I'm still trying to figure that out myself, lad. We never really got to finish our conversation earlier, what with the abrupt interruption."

Luigi sighed uneasily, "The-ah…um… This is a _really _bad time right now," Luigi said, his voice dropping down to a low murmur. "You see, I'm in the middle of a date, and um…" He finished his broken statement with a light shrug. "This just isn't a good time."

"Oh, oh dear… I offer my most sincere apologies. I did not mean to intrude."

Luigi waved his hand, "It's alright," He smiled, "You didn't ruin it…" He paused. "Wait a minute. Can anyone other than me see you?" He said in a low voice. Kalliel nodded, "Do not worry. All is well." He said as he got up to leave.

"Oh, one more thing… you haven't been following me all evening, have you?" Luigi asked. Kalliel looked genuinely shocked, "Of course not. I just popped 'round a moment ago… literally," He concluded. "But I will say this and I can not stress it enough," He murmured as he leaned over the table to Luigi so the conversation could only be heard between the two. The kind, understanding look on his face was replaced by a look of utmost seriousness, "You must follow the book's orders and get beneath that seal. Time is of the essence. There's something that's as old and powerful as the stars themselves reawakening." He straightened up. Luigi spoke up one last time before he left, his voice strengthened with confidence and determination, something that he usually had when it dealt with things like this, "Alright. I'll do it first thing in the morning. But you're going to promise me that if I do as the book says, you will explain everything to me; right down to the gritty details."

"Deal," Kalliel gave a curt nod before vanishing completely from sight. Luigi sat for a second in silence before taking another swig of his cola as Daisy approached the table. "Sweetie, you feeling okay?" She asked as she gave him a concerned look.

"Fit as a fiddle, why?"

"Couldn't help but notice you were talking to yourself. Never seen you do that before."

Luigi stopped with the drink glass still raised to his lips. _Oh… He is **so** lucky he's already dead… _"It was nothing. Really." He was cut short as the waiter brought their food out to them. Luigi had ordered the Seafood Alfredo with salad while Daisy had ordered the Parchment-grilled Tilapia and rice. The waiter, thankfully, had also brought refills on the drinks. Luigi had drained his glass rather quickly. He waited until the waiter left before saying something in a low voice. "Daisy, please don't think I'm insane."

"I don't"

"No, no… you need an explanation. But you gotta promise me that you won't breathe a word of this to anyone. I'm on an honor code, you know. I was just talking with a ghost who showed up at the house earlier today." Daisy leaned in a little closer so she could hear him. "Apparently, there's something going on. What is it? I don't know… But I don't like it. This guy hasn't tried to attack me yet or anything. But he keeps saying how something is at stake and that I have very little time." He shrugged, "I dunno Daisy."

"Well, what kind of things are going on that are weird?" She asked quizzically.

"This guy shows up at my house earlier today. Oh, Mario called while you were away telling me that several boos were headed in the direction of the house. So I've ghosts in the woods, I've got ghosts coming to me asking for help, and to top that off we found a seal on the ground in the cellar. Now don't ask me what it is, because I haven't the foggiest." Luigi stopped, his hands still in front of him. "Just don't think I'm crazy."

Daisy stared at him for a moment. "Baby, I don't think you're crazy. Trust me. I've seen enough weird stuff around this place to know. What I can't really grasp is how you're staying so calm," She paused as she began cutting her fish, "Especially since it has to do with ghosts. No offense."

Luigi nodded solemnly as he took a bite of pasta. It was something that confused people even to this day. He remembered how easily he fell to pieces during the whole Mansion escapade, but what was so strange was, in times of political difficulty, Peach would always choose him over her own royal diplomats to be the representative and sort the messes out. Mainly it was because of his ability to keep a cool head and the fact that he was practically genius. The actions that he took and the way that he took them were what mainly got him his position of unofficial diplomat for the Mushroom Kingdom in the first place. It was usually a low-key job where he could do his part and for the most part, remain slightly anonymous.

"Say, why don't we change the subject?" Daisy asked gently. "I think it'll ruin tonight for you if you keep worrying about it," she gave him the puppy eyes. Luigi chuckled, "Alright." He waited until they were almost finished eating. "Daisy? What do you say about going to Club 64 for a little while?" Daisy polished off her drink before giving him a beaming grin. "I think that's a wonderful idea! Let's show those amateurs what dancing's all about." Luigi paid the bill and they promptly left.

A few minutes later, they were at the doors of the club. Daisy followed Luigi up to the security guard out front: A rather large Sledge Bro. He finished examining the last person's ID before eyeing Luigi and Daisy. His expression turned friendly as he opened the doors for them. "Hey, Luigi! Long time no see, huh?" A gruff Brooklyn accent was very prominent in his voice.

Luigi nodded, "Nice to see you too Mitch. Hey, did Mario already run through here?"

The Sledge Bro. Looked at another Toad's ID before he answered, "Yup, sure did! He's in the back."

Luigi thanked him as he and Daisy stepped into the dark corridor and through the doors to the floor where a large crowd of people were dancing wildly to the heavy techno beat. Daisy was the first to spot Peach waving to them. "Hey, you guys finally made it!"

"Yup, did we miss anything?" Daisy asked looking around as the DJ Switched songs.

"Well…" Peach trailed off as the familiar tune of "Jump, Jump, Jump!" Met their ears. "…You almost missed showing these people what it's all about." She winked at her best friend as Mario and Luigi smirked at one another. "Let's do it." The two of them said together.

* * *

A few hours later and after pushing through the crowds who were trying to get them to stay, Mario, Luigi, Daisy, and Peach managed to finally get outside. All four of them were panting slightly and were sweating a bit from the dance. 

"That was amazing!" Daisy said, jamming her fist in the air excitedly.

Luigi laughed, "That was too much fun, I don't think I'll be getting very much sleep tonight." He paused for a moment as he took a deep breath.

"Come on Luigi, let's ditch these guys before they start getting all makey-outy on us," Daisy chuckled. Peach cast her a look as Mario and Luigi laughed quietly. After saying their goodbyes for the evening, Luigi and Daisy headed back to the house to watch a movie while Mario escorted Peach back to the castle.

The pair finally reached the warp pipe near the edge of town. Luigi helped Daisy into it but found himself grabbed about the collar and pulled with her into the pipe with a "C'mere!" From Daisy. They both were catapulted into the darkness for several moments, finally feeling the acceleration of expulsion. Luigi braced himself as they were blasted into the air. He quickly took hold of Daisy, flipped several times in midair, and gracefully landed with her safely in his arms. He set her down and they began to walk up the driveway. "So, Which movie do you wanna see?" Daisy asked. There was a long pause. "Luigi?" Luigi took hold of her hand and stopped.

"Actually… We never got a chance to have an actual dance," Luigi said quietly. He offered her his hand, "Mademoiselle?"

Daisy smiled, took his hand, and allowed herself to be lead in a waltz that seemed to follow perfectly with the rhythm of time itself. She could vividly imagine the scene: The tall, dark man with perfect posture, leading the woman in a beautiful dance across the moonlit lawn. They danced slowly for several moments, and as they danced, Daisy could hear the words of a song drifting out of the house. The words were soon accompanied by Luigi's soft, tenor voice, perfectly blending into the melody.

_My gift is my song  
And this one's for you  
And you can tell everybody  
That this is your song  
It maybe quite simple  
But now that it's done  
Hope you don't mind  
I hope you don't mind  
That I put down in words  
How wonderful life is now you're in the world _

Sat on the roof  
And I kicked off the moss  
Well some of the verses well  
They got me quite cross  
But the sun's been kind  
While I wrote this song  
It's for people like you that  
Keep it turned on

So excuse me for forgetting  
But these things I do  
You see I've forgotten  
If they're green or they're blue  
Anyway the thing is well I really mean  
Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen

And you can tell everybody  
This is your song  
It may be quite simple  
But now that it's done  
I hope you don't mind  
I hope you don't mind that I put down in words

How wonderful life is now you're in the world  
I hope you don't mind  
I hope you don't mind that I put down in words  
How wonderful life is now you're in the world

Up in the house, Professor Gadd shut the stereo off as the song faded out. "How romantic," He mused to himself. Shivers clasped his hands together and sighed, "Master Luigi and the Princess make wonderful dancers." Gadd raised a finger to his lips, "Let's leave these two alone for a little bit, Shivers." The ghostly butler nodded and followed the professor back down to the cellar.

Luigi and Daisy had stopped their dance, holding tightly to one another. Daisy finally looked up, "That's it! That's what this evening was missing." She hugged him tightly. He knew that was her favorite song, one of them at least.

"Well, I'm glad you had a good time," He said, leaning towards her for a kiss. Their lips almost touched before Daisy paused. A strange sound met her ears. "Do you hear that?" She asked. Luigi stiffened as the noise came again, this time louder. A rustle, and a few shouts.

"It's coming from the woods," he swallowed. Daisy took a few steps towards the trees, "Come on," She whispered, beckoning him. Luigi hesitated for a moment. "I don't think it's a good idea."

Daisy looked at him once more before hurrying off towards the sound. Luigi had no choice but to go after her. Eventually, the two of them came to a small clearing where the few sounds melded into a full-blown ruckus. In the middle of the clearing, were several round, white, and translucent shapes swarming around something on the ground. "Boos…" Luigi trailed off. _Mario wasn't kidding._ "Wait… What's that?" Daisy said, grabbing his arm and pointing to the ground where a small white object was. Luigi squinted before realizing what it was and what the boos were doing. The thing was a tiny boo, almost a baby, and the others were beating on it. Luigi felt a sense of anger obscure the feeling of terror inside of him and before he knew what he was doing, he intervened.

"Hey! What are you doing! That's a baby!" He shouted, jogging towards the congregation. _There are six in all, not counting the little one._ He thought, mentally sizing the odds.

"Yeah that's true!" One cackled, "But why do you care about this freak? He can't even talk!" The other five chortled behind the first.

"I would think that you would have some sense of morality, but it seems I was wrong! Because of that? You're beating on him because he's mute?"

The boos' smiles disappeared, leaving angry expressions and bared fangs. "And just who are you to step in on other people's business?" The first one sneered.

"Luigi, be careful!" Daisy called, clenching her fists. Luigi allowed a ball of green fire to materialize in his palm. Two or three of the ghosts' faces dropped suddenly. "Mario Brother!" They screamed.

"Eat fire, you overgrown Marshmallows!" Luigi yelled as he flung the ball at them. One was hit dead-on and knocked against a tree, its color significantly darker. The other four flew at him quickly, fangs bared and eyes flashing. This new spectacle caused Luigi's body to lock up in panic, until he remembered the boo on the ground. He jumped into the air, releasing several bolts of electricity. One boo was knocked into a rock while the other lay on the ground twitching. After his jump, Luigi had landed in a high limb of a large oak tree. A glowing ball of crackling blue light signaled that he had another fistful of lightning that he was planning on pegging someone with. "Get out of my woods, Now!" He released it. It crashed with a deafening boom on the ground, throwing up clods of dirt and leaves.

Three of the boos yelped as they scrambled over each other trying to get out of there as quickly as heavenly possible. The fourth was carting the fifth one away. (who was still twitching, by the way.)

Daisy ran over to the little ball of white in the leaves. She brushed the dirt off of its face and gasped. "Luigi, you'd better get down here!" she called. He grabbed hold of the limb and after a nimble gymnastic flip; he landed next to her and examined the small ghost. "Poor little guy," he sighed, picking it up in his arms. While normal sized boos were big enough to carry him on their heads, this was small enough to fit in his arms. The boo was covered in purple and blue bruises and dirt smudges, small scrapes and abrasions. It looked up at Daisy and Luigi with terrified eyes before burying its face in its flipper-like arms. It quickly gave that up when it found that it was hurting miserably. It whimpered.

Luigi swallowed. "We've got to get it to the house… and fast. Gadd'll know what to do." Daisy nodded, and the two raced off through the woods back to the mansion; the tiny, injured boo cradled in Luigi's arms.


	5. Maverick and the Hidden Palace

A/N: Agh! Why am I such a lazy bum! Any who, sorry for the wait again Ack…

* * *

**Chapter 5: Maverick and the Hidden Palace**

Several moments later, the pair crashed through the kitchen door, toppling onto the checker-patterned floor. "Waugh!" Luigi exclaimed as he threw his arm out to stop his fall. He succeeded, and protected the boo from the fall. Daisy followed soon after, landing on top of Luigi.

"Ah!" Luigi groaned as he struggled to support himself and Daisy. He wasn't a man of great upper body strength like his brother was. "Daisy! I can't-"

"Oh, sorry," Daisy said, quickly getting off of him and helping him up. They then proceeded to run down the hall calling for the professor and Shivers.

They finally found them in the large living room. Gadd sat bolt upright when he saw the two 'Youngsters' run haphazardly into the room. "Now where did you two go?" he scolded. "One moment you're out front dancing the next minute, POOF, you're gone! I-… what is that?" He questioned, pointing at the tiny, round, white thing in Luigi's arm.

"This-this is what we've… been hollering for you about…" Luigi said between gasps of air. He gently handed the boo to the professor.

"By George," He mused, "Luigi, what happened to your arm boy!"

Luigi glanced down at his sleeve and inwardly cursed. "Aww man," he hissed. From the elbow down to the wrist cuff, was singed with thin lines from the lightning. That was one of his better shirts too. He wiped the sweat off of his brow and sat down in one of the green-cushioned armchairs.

"Shivers, would you be so kind as to quickly fetch the first aid box from my trunk in the basement?" Gadd asked as Shivers curtly bowed. "At once, sir!" He disappeared through the floor into the cellar.

Daisy finally walked forward, bent over and hugged Luigi. "I'd better go. Sorry Weege. I guess Spiderman 2'll have to wait until next time."

Luigi chuckled lightly. "Yeah. I was looking forward to that movie but-"

"But we've got more important things to worry about right now," Daisy smiled. She kissed him once before standing up. "You better help that little guy get better, or else." She grinned as she playfully made a fist at him.

Luigi smiled warily. "Touché."

She waved goodbye and left through the front door. In the meantime, Shivers had returned with the kit and stood by to watch as Gadd began applying ointment to a few of the little guy's scrapes. Luigi turned his head to watch. Then it dawned on him.

"Wait a minute. He's a ghost. I don't think Band-aids and bactine work too well on spectral entities."

"Ah, but you see, that is where most people tend to over think these things," Gadd smiled as he finished bandaging one of its arms. "You'd be surprised at how simple some things can be. There we go, all done."

Luigi sighed. "So… is he gonna be okay?"

Gadd looked at him seriously. "… I don't know. We'll have to see if he makes it through the night, then we'll go from there." Luigi sat in silence for a moment before rubbing his hand over his face. As his hand brushed over his eyebrow, he felt something rip and immediately he knew he had just done something incredibly stupid. He had completely forgotten about the stitches and the cut.

"Master Luigi!" Shivers exclaimed pointing to his cut. The small gauze patch that Melody had put there earlier was soaked in blood. He covered his eye with one hand as he hurried into the kitchen for some paper towels. He came back out after a while, slightly shaken and eased back into his chair, still holding a paper towel over his eye to stop any last-minute bleeding. Luckily, the majority of the stitches had remained in tact.

He accepted a band-aid from Shivers and put it back over the cut. He got up to throw away the paper towel and take the boo from Gadd. The professor yawned. "Well, I'm off to get some sleep. I'll see you two in the morning."

The master and Butler bid their goodnights to the professor as he headed down to his lab.

"Go ahead and go on Shivers, I'll stay here with this little guy," Luigi said.

"A-Are you sure Master Luigi? I mean I-"

"It's okay Shivers. Go ahead."

Shivers gave a quick bow and headed to his room. Luigi looked down at the little snowy-white ball in his arms, which had recently begun to stir. It looked up at him with its large black eyes. "Hey," Luigi said calmly, despite the slight feeling of uneasiness at the fact that he was holding a ghost. With a small 'Eep,' it buried its face in its arms.

"It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you," Luigi coaxed as he gently stroked his head. The boo looked up at him slowly. "Do you have a name?"

He sat in silence for a moment before shaking his ghostly head. Luigi thought for a moment, "Well then, we'll just have to think of a name for you." He grinned warmly, triggering a cute smile from the boo in his arms.

The two sat for a moment, Luigi thinking up suitable names while the little ghost gave his critiques on the matter. After about ten minutes and four names, Luigi finally decided to have a little fun. "How about, Bob?" The ghost looked confused for a moment, then stuck out his tongue with a small 'Ack,' noise. "Didn't like that, huh?" Luigi paused for a moment, studying him. "Hmmm."

The ghost imitated his 'hmmm,' with one of his own and copied Luigi's thoughtful expression. Luigi smiled, "I've got it." The boo looked up excitedly. "How about Maverick?" There was a pause as the boo looked for a critique. He thought….and thought…and thought… There was nothing wrong with it. In fact, he liked it and showed his approval with a happy squeak which turned into a yelp as he forgot about his injuries.

Luigi supported him as he shifted to a more comfortable position and held 'Maverick' closer to him. "Maverick it is then." He sighed as he gently petted the ghost. There was no answer. Maverick had already fallen asleep contented with his new name as well as his new pillow. Luigi followed him into the welcoming embrace of sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Luigi and Maverick were still curled up in the chair, fast asleep. Luigi was snoring softly as Maverick opened his eyes for a moment. The tiny ghost blinked several times as he rested against his warm, snoring pillow. With a final yawn and a shake of his small head, he wormed his way out of Luigi's arms and floated down the hall. 

"Zzzznk! Huh?" Luigi snorted, waking up in time to notice that Maverick had just up and out disappeared. "Oh Boy…" He hoped that Maverick hadn't died. _What happens to ghosts when they die? … No, No, No! I can't think like that. He's probably up wandering around,_ Luigi thought, desperately trying to keep himself from panicking. Besides he couldn't have gone far, right?

Luigi hurriedly rounded a corner to come face to face with the missing culprit. Maverick let out a chirp which caused Luigi to utter a small cry as he fell to the ground covering his head. Maverick warbled curiously at his new friend's behavior. Luigi shakily stood up as he let out a sigh of relief, "Oh, thank the stars, there you are…" He trailed off as Maverick darted over to and through the downstairs door. He came back out and let out a short bark, signaling for Luigi to follow. "What in the wide world of Sports?" Luigi mused as he ran back to the kitchen and grabbed a flashlight from the drawer. He quickly ran back to the cellar stairs door, where Maverick was patiently waiting. Upon seeing Luigi he barked again and disappeared through the door.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming." Where was he going and what was he up to? Luigi opened the door and flicked the flashlight on as he ran down the stairs. He managed to see Maverick disappear through the door to the cellar where Gadd's Lab was. "No, Mav! Don't go in there! The professor's probably still asleep!" He whispered harshly. He heaved another sigh as he slowly turned the knob and entered the dark workroom. His flashlight beam bounced off several of the metallic instruments and finally settled over the floating ghost in the corner. Maverick chirped several times. Luigi put a finger to his lips, "Shh, keep it down. The professor's still asleep." Luigi pointed up to a small loft on the far wall, where sure enough, soft snores were coming from. Maverick covered his mouth with his flipper-like arms and nodded.

Luigi pointed the beam down at the floor. Down upon the stone seal. _How the hell did he know about this?_ Luigi thought.

"Maverick. We don't know how to open it," Luigi whispered calmly. Maverick flew down to the floor and began making wild gestures with his arms as he made quiet noises. Luigi knelt down trying to make out what he was 'Saying.' He finally realized the noises he was making. "Schzap…schzapp!" Maverick warbled as he slapped his arms on the ground before floating a few feet up into the air and gently dive bombing the seal with a "ZzzzzT!" He sat face down on the seal before bouncing upright and looking Luigi ecstatically in the face. Luigi shook his head and chuckled, "You're goofy… but I do understand."

Luigi gently extended his palm and closed his eyes. The familiar blue lining followed by several sparks covered his hand. He placed his palm flat on the stone and waited. He stifled another gasp as blue lines (the same as the ones that had been on the book previously) snaked their way from his hand all over the tablet. They traced the boo and finally ignited the eyes with a beautiful bluish glow. Luigi looked up at Maverick for a moment. "Nothin-" He began as the panel suddenly sank a few centimeters. "Wah!" He gasped.

Maverick then lifted his arms up at the ceiling. Luigi shook his head with a confused look. The ghost made the gesture again. Luigi charged his other hand in case something happened to the stone. Once more, Maverick made the gesture. Luigi let go of the panel. He extended both palms and focused once more. He turned his palms face up and slowly lifted his arms upwards. He cracked one eye open and almost lost focus when he saw what he was doing. The stone tablet was being lifted from its hole. He gently slid it over to the side and let go. He sighed. That was incredible.

Luigi looked at Maverick, "You, my friend, have to be a gift from the stars."

Maverick did several somersaults in the air before rushing forward and licking Luigi on the nose in a very puppy-like manner. He zoomed down into the hole as Luigi followed. Once inside, he dangled from the edge as he flicked on the light. "Well, I can see the ground… I think," he mused as he finally let go. The wind whistled in his ears before he finally hit the ground with a solid THUMP and an "uff!" The flashlight clattered to the ground and went out.

Up above, the stone tablet ground back into place with a loud scraping noise.

"Hey!" Luigi shouted as the panel sealed itself again, casting the cave back into pitch darkness. His echoes reverberated several times, eventually fading into the nothingness that surrounded him. Luigi stood there stupefied for a moment before he remembered the task at hand. He searched around with a fireball in his hand until he found the flashlight and after several good, hard shakes, got it to work again.

He stood up and looked around, the beam shining on the earthen walls of the cave until he faced the other way, in which the beam was lost in a gaping maw of darkness.

"M-Maverick?" He stuttered. The tiny ghost appeared in the flashlight's beam and zoomed off again. Luigi breathed a sigh at first, but called after Maverick to come back. When the ghost refused, Luigi had no choice but to follow.

* * *

For about an hour, Luigi ran after the small boo. Maverick finally dropped to the floor, gasping and whimpering. Luigi stumbled and fell about twenty feet behind him, losing hold of the flashlight, which flew forward and finally shattered on the ground. He skidded across the solid floor, bouncing several times, tearing his shirt ever so slightly. He dug his fingers into the earth. _Ohhh… Why…did…I …do…that?_ His lungs were on fire and his legs burned just as badly. He had always been a great runner… scratch that. He had always been a great athlete, but he had tailed the little ghost for an hour, he knew there would be no walking around tomorrow. 

He laid there for several minutes, wondering how the hell he got into this situation. Three days ago, he was living, what his standards referred to as a normal life. Now, he found himself laying on the ground in some star-forsaken tunnel that led who-knows-where, brought here by a ghost that had to be smaller than his head. How did Maverick know to come here, anyway? Speaking of Maverick, the sound of soft crying met his ears. He got to his feet and stumbled about, following the sounds of sniffling until he found Maverick again.

"H-hey…there," He panted, "It's alright…it's okay." Maverick turned his large, watery eyes apologetically to him. Luigi decided to carry him the rest of the way. For some reason anyway, even if he was a ghost, he made him feel better. _Strange…_

"Kalliel, where are you when I need you?" He murmured. _You're always around at inopportune moments._ The echoes sounded a few more times. Luigi began trudging up the tunnel. After a few minutes, he noticed that his footsteps sounded more solid, like he was treading on concrete or cobblestone. Not only that, but he began to hear sounds coming from the roof of the tunnel or cave… or wherever they currently were. As they progressed, the sounds became slightly louder. Luigi could make several out.

"Are those… Car horns?" The sounds of people, cars, even buses. The sounds were very, very urban, which could mean only one thing. "We're beneath Mushroom city…" He trailed off.

Thinking back, he figured the direction they took, the speed at which they were traveling and the time it took to get this far. Yes. It all calculated to the same answer. They truly were beneath Mushroom City. He walked a little farther and listened as the sounds of his footsteps became wider, more dispersed. He also noticed that there was a faint light off in the distance. He kept walking until he walked straight into a pillar.

"Ow!" He exclaimed as he rubbed his nose. He looked up… The pillar's top extended into blackness. Igniting a fireball, he held it up. It's light was still inefficient; so he threw it vertically. To his dismay, it died out before it hit the ceiling. He did, however, manage to see the pillar's face. It was a humongous statue of a man in a similar surcoat to Kalliel. Its features were calm and both of its hands were extended as if it were accepting something. "What is this place?" He gaped, open-mouthed.

Maverick suddenly struggled out of his grasp. "Maverick, wait! Where are you going!" Luigi called, as he hurried after his small partner. He stopped when he saw Maverick suddenly fall. He watched as the tiny body was lifted up as if someone was holding him in one arm.

"Why are you acting so weird?" He wondered. A short moment later, a person materialized out of nowhere, holding his tiny cohort in one arm, and holding a small gold light in the other. Luigi sighed.

"Thank God." The man before him was Kalliel.

"I'm glad you could make it," He said in his dusty voice. Luigi nodded slowly, "I promised, didn't I?"

Kalliel smiled. "Indeed." He paused, "What do you see behind me?" Luigi squinted into the blackness behind him. The light given off by the specter gave him a better view. "I see a-"

"A door…yes… These are the front gates to the Palace of Spirits," He stated.

Luigi's shoulders drooped slightly. After all he had been through this morning as well as the evening before, anything having to do with spirits or ghosts, was the last thing he wanted to hear right now."Sounds very attractive," he said sarcastically. "Well. Logic tells me that you want me to go in there, am I correct?"

"Yes, but you can't go in yet," Kalliel started. He looked down to Maverick. "Wake up little one." The tiny ghost awoke, shook its head vigorously and fluttered over to Luigi's shoulder, as if nothing had happened. By now, Luigi's temper had risen significantly. "Wait…You're saying that after I fall 30 feet onto the ground, sprint for an _hour… _In the dark may I add, to get to some God-forsaken cave beneath Mushroom city, and run into a damn pillar that I came down here for nothing!"

"No, no, no… you can't go in yet because you don't have the mark." Kalliel tapped a spot on his forehead. "Listen to my, my boy, if you were to enter the front gates now, you would be obliterated by the Guardians."

Luigi stiffened. "Oh… well… erm… right, sorry about that." _Guardians? What the hell?_

"Luigi, do you know what I am?" Kalliel asked.

"You're a... you're a complex Freudian hallucination having something to do with my mother and I don't know why you picked me of all people to get caught up in whatever you're planning, but you obviously have your motives and are a very nice person and what am I saying, I don't really remember who my mother was; My brother and I were orphans and I've never done drugs because I missed the seventies, I was born in 1981 and spent a good chunk of my life as a plumber…" Luigi said.

Kalliel stood motionless for a few seconds. "Uh… no. Besides, that was the biggest run-on sentence I've ever heard in my life…"

Luigi blushed, he was so embarrassed. "Sorry…"

"You have brilliant logic though… But I am the last knight of our order. I must pass on the cup to someone else, or else the royal family and perhaps the entire Mushroom kingdom is doomed. Believe me my boy. After today, things are going to be much clearer to you. I am only sorry that the… ahem, well, what is left of the order, could not be here. But sometimes, I suppose that it is necessary to be unorthodox in some practices if the need arises."

He extended his palm. Luigi watched the light momentarily. "This is going to hurt, isn't it?"

"It might."

The light shot forward and hit Luigi between the eyes. At once, a pain resembling that of a gunshot wound snaked its way down from his head. He was thrown onto his back, writhing. The sharp pain changed to a needle-like buzz, like the kind you get when your foot falls asleep, but all over his body. He lost consciousness.

* * *

At that moment, at the top of the Palace, two enormous bells sent out one loud, low ring that sent a shockwave through the ground. Up on the surface, the bustle of the city stopped momentarily. 

The call… had been sent.

A new knight had been found.


	6. Sins of the Yesteryears

The resounding boom sent a small shockwave barreling through the ground, causing all activity on the surface to halt. Several toads climbed out of their vehicles.

"What was that?" One asked another. The other toad shrugged after a few minutes. "I dunno… Meteor, perhaps?" The first one shrugged and looked around. There wasn't any damage; after all, it wasn't that big of a wave.

* * *

After several minutes, the bustle resumed, with Mushroom city's residents keeping a wary eye out for anything out of the ordinary.

The shockwave spread as far to the north in Ice Land, as well as through the numerous deserts to the south. Even in Dark World, all the way up to Bowser's keep.

Inside the massive fortress, Bowser sat brooding on his throne, idly watching as several koopas darted about, doing random jobs around the castle. Somewhere within the castle, he could hear his eldest son's dark organ music drifting through the walls. "Ludwig the composer…" He mused. Bowser turned his eye to his two head magikoopas; Kammy and Kamek, who were currently in middle of a practice duel.

"GRAH!" Kamek shouted as he fired a line of bright blue sparks at his counterpart. Kammy managed to dodge, barely. She picked herself up off of the floor and idly brushed her robe off.

"Hah! You're losing your touch, you old bogey," she cackled, pointing at Kamek, who landed a few feet away from her. Kamek's lip curled upwards into a sneer. "You just got lucky," he snapped. He paused as he felt the ground shudder beneath him followed by a small ripple and a faint, low hum. As it passed beneath them, Kamek and Kammy were thrown on their backs; Bowser's lounging came to an abrupt stop as he was jarred from his seat. Kammy once again pulled herself off of the ground, adjusted her spectacles, and brushed off her pink robe with a huff. "Eh?" She said, looking over at Kamek who had not gotten up yet.

Kamek lay with his belly to the floor. His face was raised and the color was draining rapidly. "Hey, you okay?" Kammy asked, waving a hand in front of his face. "Kamek? Kamek?" Kammy was getting impatient.

"Kamek!" Bowser barked, "What is the matter with you!" Grumpy from being robbed of his relaxation, he crossed his arms and glared down at his old caretaker. Kamek shuddered and wiped the sweat from his face as Bowser picked him up by the scruff of his neck.

"I-I'm sorry your highness… I just don't feel well all of a sudden," He muttered. Bowser's expression changed from one of anger to one of uneasy disgust. "Well…take the day off." He set him back down on the ground, "And go get some rest before you puke on me," He finished with a growl. Kamek nodded, and with a quick word of thanks to his master, hurried down towards the dungeons where his quarters were. Bowser watched him scurry off with a suspicious glance before his thoughts were interrupted by Kammy. "Um, begging your pardon, your highness, but since Kamek has taken ill so suddenly, who's left for me to practice on?" She gave him her best puppy eyes, knowing that kind of thing never worked with Bowser. He responded by engulfing her in a fire-ball, singing her robe.

Kammy stood for a moment, soot-covered, before she coughed, "Real Funny, sir…"

Bowser guffawed as he stood up, "I guess I can practice for a few minutes, I'm a bit rusty, y'know."

"As you say, your highness," Kammy said, shaking off the last bit of soot and putting herself into a battle pose.

* * *

Lights, pain, dark… peace. Luigi felt himself drifting; the pain in his head waning rapidly. The more it diffused, the farther he drifted. Eventually, the buzzing effects of the headache were replaced by a sense of comforting warmth. All of the things crammed into his head by the book the previous morning seemed to fit better in his brain. He groaned slightly and opened his eyes to a void of nothing. He blinked several times.

"Wah? Am… am I blind?" He took several deep breaths to calm himself as his hands appeared before him, followed by his arms and the rest of his body. "Where am I?" He wondered aloud. To him, his voice sounded detached and distant; he felt as if he was floating in water. All he could see was darkness all around him. Slowly, the darkness faded as a light from nowhere became steadily brighter. It didn't take Luigi long to realize that he _was_ the light. His hand instinctively flew to his forehead.

"…" His fingers brushed over the place where the light had struck. The mark on his forehead flared to life, causing the ring of light to expand beyond the outer fringes of his vision and into the darkness. Luigi sighed as he felt the weariness ebb away with the darkness. He traced the lines with his finger. The triquetra with the circle around the center; the same as Kalliel.

"If you are still wondering… you are witnessing the beginning of time," a calm voice said behind him. He whirled around to come face to face with the very man he was just thinking of.

Luigi rubbed his forehead one more time, "what are you doing here?"

"I'm a ghost; I can go where I please." He smiled. "Also, once you are endowed with the mark, you enter a period of inner reflection, a time in which you can witness the events of the past and present." He gently touched a finger to Luigi's forehead and watched as the light flared up again. He gave Luigi a smile before vanishing into the receding darkness. Luigi closed his eyes, feeling a new surge of energy bubble up inside of him. It was comforting, as it broke away the weariness that was weighing him down. He turned the other way, mouth agape as he stared out at the vast expanse of the universe that now occupied where the darkness was only moments ago. He watched as several large stars gathered in a circle.

"The star council…" Luigi stared in awe. In the center, a large black crystal hovered. All of the stars spoke to each other in angry voices, save one. A familiar-looking star with a large white mustache hushed the group as he spoke with a husky voice, "We cannot allow him to escape this time! He will surely destroy the Kingdom now that he knows we are trying to keep him contained!"

Another star spoke out, "But Eldestar, we wouldn't have captured him without the help of the Royal Family and the citizens of the kingdom! It shows that even though it is but a newborn world, its people have the strength of heart to defend themselves."

Eldestar closed his eyes. "That may be…" He paused as he looked to the crystal again. Luigi finally realized what made the multi-faceted walls darker than the surrounding space; it contained a strange, black creature; symbiotic in nature. "However, they are human. And humans are prone to feelings of anger and hatred. That is what makes him stronger and now that he knows they can defend themselves, he will try even harder to destroy them. I've told you all this before! Kamek exists only to destroy. Have you all forgotten what he is?" All of the stars fell silent. They knew what the entity contained in the crystal before them was. "From light comes shadow. He is the manifestation of all hatred and anguish that has been collecting since our births! Hear me out, my brethren! Kamek… must _never _be set free!"

* * *

Luigi shook his head as the image before him swam and was replaced with another; the star realm, located deep within the star haven. Only, something was wrong, terribly wrong. Many buildings were crumbling, shards of glass and crystal lay strewn about the star's gathering hall. Eldestar and only a few other stars from the original council remained, including the silent one.

"Oh, what tragedy!" Eldestar moaned. "So many casualties… My poor children…so many worlds already lost to that foul creature... this one is surely doomed as well," he said with a heavy heart.

The star who stood silent during the last vision spoke up, "My lord, we must hurry. If we don't, I fear the worst for the royal family. We could be too late already…"

"Then what do you propose we do, Lazarus?" Eldestar sighed. "You remember our pact; we cannot interfere directly with the fate of the world too much."

The star named Lazarus was silent for a moment. "I…I understand, Eldestar. But I may be partial to blame for the destruction of our beloved haven…" Eldestar looked at his subordinate curiously, "What do you mean, my child?"

"I oversaw the execution of our traitor… the one who destroyed Kamek's prison, however… Kamek got to the corrupted fragments of the convicted star before we could stop him… he… absorbed the fragments… it is my fault, I am to blame for this senseless destruction…" Eldestar was silent as he stared at Lazarus. "Therefore… I am offering to make the ultimate sacrifice to protect the future of this world…"

Eldestar shook his head, "You know that if you do this, you will become mortal and pass on just as the rest of the world's creatures do. Besides, Lazarus, what can a star that reigns over the spirit realm do to help the land of the living?"

Lazarus thought for a moment before answering, "I can do anything that needs to be done to protect the Royal family. Ghosts and spirits look to me for guidance; they will follow me to the ends of eternity and beyond if I ask them to.

"What will you call yourself?" Eldestar responded with another question.

"Sir Lazarus, Knight of Eidolon… King of ghosts," he put emphasis on the last phrase. "I shall use my symbol, the triquetra, representing life, death, and the afterlife." He paused momentarily to regain his composure. "I would do anything to repent for my sins."

"My child, your heart beats free of any sin, you have done nothing wrong. But if this is something you are truly set on… I shall make it so." Eldestar bowed and Luigi shielded his eyes as a bright light filled the room. When the light cleared, Lazarus was human, decked in heavy-looking, black and gold armor over a black surcoat. His features were very defined, with a strong jaw, short dark brown hair, and bright sapphire eyes. His forehead bore the glowing mark.

"You do realize that your stardom is forfeit from hereon out?"

Lazarus nodded. "I do."

Eldestar smiled at his friend, "Still, you shall always be welcome here, and your status will forever be remembered as a true hero."

Lazarus was silent for a moment. "Eldestar?"

"Yes, child?"

"One last request… May I use the star forge? What good is a warrior without a weapon?"

Eldestar smiled and nodded. Lazarus bowed to his superior, and then to Luigi's surprise, turned to face him. Lazarus bowed to Luigi, who looked behind him to find no one. _He's bowing to me…_

Luigi returned the gesture. Lazarus smiled, turned, and made his way to the inner haven. Once again, the scenery changed. It changed to reveal the inside of an elaborate forge, where Lazarus was finishing the final details on a very familiar-looking sword. He gave one final smack with the mallet and picked it up by the hilt; the blade's color matching that of the glowing embers. He plunged it deep into a barrel of water, sending up a plume of steam. The product he removed was a glittering beauty that shimmered with the light of hundreds of stars. He breathed a sigh and stared down the gleaming steel. "There... you're finished..." The sword hummed in response.

Lazarus sheathed the new weapon and strode regally from the room. Outside, Eldestar and the others sat waiting for him. Lazarus gave a stiff bow before turning to the star gate.

"Wait, my child…" Eldestar said. "One last gift for you before you depart…" Eldestar moved aside to allow a large yoshi to come before them. Its scales were a deep blue, just as the sky above them was. Red spines adorned his neck down to the large red saddle strapped around its middle. Its most stunning feature was a pair of feathered, snow-white wings.

Lazarus, normally not fazed by very many things, stared in awe at the humble creature making its way over to him. He tenderly reached out a hand and stroked its large, soft nose. It responded with a lick to his face. Lazarus calmly made his way over and hoisted himself up into the saddle. The gate in front of him swung open, revealing the star road and beyond that, the entire expanse of the mushroom world.

Luigi watched as Lazarus and the yoshi took off towards the ground before the scene before him faded. Luigi thought back to the book and what it said, and it surprised him at how easily and painlessly the words came to him as opposed to earlier that morning.

"Thus, the now-mortal Lazarus descended into chaos, swearing upon his life that he would protect the royal family for penance for his wrong-doings. Thus a new order was established," Luigi trailed off, surprised how easy it was to remember that. "This has got to be the order's history..."

* * *

Over the next half-hour, or at least what felt like a half-hour, Luigi witnessed quick glimpses of the knights that descended from Lazarus; each of them different, each of them similar, until finally, Luigi could recognize the scenery and situation of the next event. Drawing from his memory, he quickly realized what was going on. "This is the scene from Clairvoya's ball…" He murmured. Only this time, it was picking up where it left off.

Kalliel charged Kamek with a full-blown roar as the wizard raised his wand and morphed it into a mace. Blade struck blade as the two combatants grappled each other and tumbled across the ground, exchanging blows. Kalliel had his hands full enough trying to fight off the traitorous goombas that were sinking their teeth into his armor. Finally, he managed to fling them all off of him and give a blow to Kamek's shoulder.

Kamek gave an angry hiss and backhanded Kalliel, knocking him onto his back. The force of the blow had dazed him long enough to allow Kamek to change his weapon into a spike. "Wah!" Kalliel cried as he rolled out of the way. The spike clattered harmlessly onto the rocks.

"Agh… no…" Kalliel moaned as the hilt of the sword slipped from his grasp and slid a few feet away from him. "Damn…"

Kamek pulled his arm back for another thrust, managing to miss once again as Kalliel flipped out of the way and picked up his sword. He whipped around, brandishing the sword as he let out a triumphant "Hah!" Which instantly turned into a pained gasp as Kamek plunged the spike through the armor and into his abdomen. The sword once more fell from his grasp and clattered to the ground. Kamek twisted his weapon and pulled it out of his adversary with a laugh.

"Such a shame…ha ha, now you shall be destroyed by the shadow you hoped to obliterate," His wand turned back into a mace again as Kalliel choked out, "…It doesn't matter…ungh…" Kamek glared at him. "And what do you mean by that?" He spat.

"You will be stopped… I can see it… there will come a time… ah…you're gonna be stopped," He gasped for air as blood soaked into the heavy canvas surcoat. "yes…urk…Two brothers… one shall hinder you, the other will destroy you…Our order will still live on…"

Kamek's eye twitched angrily, "SHUT UP!" He bellowed, bringing the mace down full force, connecting it with Kalliel's head. "I'll destroy your damned brotherhood one member at a time if I have to!" Luigi looked away as his friend's eyes glazed over. He turned back to the sight of Kalliel lying dead, splattered with blood, sword lying askew, and a large gash on the side of his head. Luigi clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, feeling the mark on his forehead burn to life as anger welled up inside of him. He knew it wouldn't do any good, but he charged Kamek in all hopes of killing him. To his dismay, he plunged right through the image as it disappeared into blackness once more and changed into something new.

"Mushroom city?" Luigi asked himself. In front of him stood the familiar structure of the palace of spirits. Only…it was sinking into the ground. Kamek was using his magic to submerge it. So that's why it was underground… Sure enough, Kamek stood at the center of it all. "That bastard," Luigi growled.

"Lord Kamek! We've located another one!" A toadie called. Kamek turned to them and smiled. "Do away with him…"

The captive toad's face suddenly went ghostly pale as the toadie produced a knife and slit his throat in one swift motion. He cackled as the toad's body fell to the ground, the triquetra mark fading out on his skin. The look on Kamek's face was a horrifying grin; Luigi had to turn away. He closed his eyes, "Make it stop! Please! I've seen enough! Do you here me Kalliel?" He pressed his finger to his mark with a lot of force, hoping it would serve as an 'off-button' of sorts. Immediately, the scene faded back into nothingness. Luigi heaved a shuddering sigh. "Ohh… what have I gotten into?" He murmured, "oh no… please, no more."

The scenery changed to something well known to Luigi; the inside of the castle. In front of him stood a younger Toadsworth (complete with dark moustache), and two figures who looked vaguely familiar. Luigi gasped when he realized who they were and who they were holding. They were his parents, and the kids they were holding, were Mario and himself.

The young Sir Toadsworth stepped forward, holding the baby princess in his arms. "I must say, my lord and lady, we're all lucky to be here together after that shroob invasion," Toadsworth said, rather happily.

"Toadsworth, it's been a few months," the woman replied. Dark hair, green eyes, thin… Delilah Mario looked down at her infant son. "The boys certainly had quite an adventure." Young Luigi beamed up at her. She looked to her husband and shook her head when she saw that he was dozing off. "Apollo?"

He snorted slightly and shook himself awake. "Mumble…meh?" He blinked several times. "Oh…sorry," His voice held a thick Italian accent. Looking into Apollo's face, you could definitely tell that Luigi was his son. What with the relaxed look and gentle gaze, at first glance, you would think he was harmless. The main difference was he was thickset, much like Mario. He had a thin face and long sideburns, but no moustache or beard and his long, light-brown hair was pulled back. He shifted several plates of his armor idly as baby Mario gave a huge yawn and finally fell asleep. Apollo served as one of the princess' personal guards while Delilah… Her position was well known, made apparent by the long-green surcoat and robe she wore. She was a disciple, not a true knight, but she still held the sword by her side and the key in her belt.

She opened her mouth to say something, but immediately silenced as the tolls of the warning bells sounded followed by a lookout's bellow, "Kamek! Wraiths!"

"Dee?" Apollo looked at her worriedly as the royal guards moved closer to the group.

Delilah shook the shock off and began taking control of the situation, "Bar that door!" She fell silent as she looked to her younger son. Luigi looked up at his mother with worried eyes as Apollo brought baby Mario to her. "What do they want?" She asked her husband. Apollo's mouth became a thin line as he wiped his bangs from his face. She sighed as she turned to Toadsworth with her sons, "Get them out of the kingdom…"

Toadsworth was taken aback, "But, my lady… we can surely fend him off… we have-"

"Fend him, yes, destroy him, no." Her eyes became deathly serious.

"You can't be serious…" he trailed off. Delilah was silent as she brushed some hair from her face before touching a spot on her forehead. The sword by her side hummed eagerly. Toadsworth took the baby boys from her arms and looked to Apollo, who was glaring uneasily at the door which had begun to creak. "Where shall I take them?"

Delilah was silent for another moment. "I don't know... just get them out of the kingdom."

"Obviously, he's found out I'm here," She spoke in a level voice. Her husband turned back to them and the two of them bid their sons goodbye. "Go!" She said to Toadsworth as a THUD sounded against the door. Apollo looked at Luigi with a smile. He gently rubbed his head, "Look after your brother, okay?" Luigi gave him a sad look; he knew what was going to happen. Apollo nodded to Toadsworth who ran towards the back of the throne room. He reached the hidden exit behind the throne and paused to look back. Instead of going completely through, he crouched down out of sight.

"You do know we won't be able to get out of this?" Apollo asked, gently taking Delilah's hand in one and drawing his sword with the other. She gave his hand a squeeze, "I…I know…" She in turn drew hers, taking comfort in the worn, polished handle. For the first time in her life, she felt truly afraid. Normally, Apollo was the one who got somewhat nervous. She released his hand with one final squeeze as the door swung open.

Luigi couldn't stand to watch what happened next. As his father charged the oncoming enemies, Luigi let out a panicked, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Luigi! LUIGI! Wake up!" He felt strong hands on his shoulders, shaking him awake. Luigi's eyes snapped open to find Kalliel standing over him, and Maverick sobbing on his chest. Luigi took several deep, shaky breaths as he tried to comfort Maverick.

Kalliel sat panting in a chair next to where he was laying. A quick observation revealed him to be in a small bed in a relatively dark room. "Welcome to the infirmary," Kalliel said calmly. Obviously, he had been brought inside of the underground castle.

Luigi looked down at Maverick, who was still trembling gently on his chest.

"You were scaring him. Obviously you saw something that didn't sit too well."

"Everything!" Luigi snapped. Kalliel was silent. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to snap…" he felt guilty, especially since he witnessed his death. "I just… I just saw… never mind."

Kalliel didn't press the matter. He knew what Luigi had seen. _Seeing his parents die wasn't an effect of the christening…hmmm… I wonder…_ he looked at the young man one more time. _Ah…It is a memory. _Kalliel gave him a reassuring smile and put his hand on his shoulder. _His nervousness…It is as I thought… He truly is no coward. Just a victim of a horrible experience…_

* * *

A/N: okay, Holy crap... I know this chapter was a little rocky... I was having trouble writing... Well, with it being this close to band camp, I just can't seem to get my ducks in order.

Sorry if this was really choppy. I tried to make it as smooth as possible. The next one won't have as much jumping around.

Now, Apollo's accent is Italian, pure Italian... not American-Italian, so there won't be many words with the -a added on. Keep in mind, the boys grew up in Brooklyn and came back home after oh, I'd say 17 or 18 years. Well, there you go


	7. The Journey Begins

**Chapter 7: The journey begins**

Luigi sat on the small infirmary bed, holding Maverick close to him. After a moment, he turned his eyes to the man beside him.

"That wasn't supposed to happen, Luigi," Kalliel said reassuringly.

Luigi was silent for several moments, then taking a shaky breath, he replied, "…but it did." Maverick's sobs had stopped by now, but he still looked up at his friend with watery eyes.

Kalliel sat motionless for a moment, thinking. "What did you see that day that generates fear, even to this day?" He was now sitting straight up, a feeling of urgency apparent in his face. Luigi was silent for a while. Kalliel slowly slumped back with a small sigh.

"A shadow…"

He looked up at the young man. Two words, that was all it took. Kalliel pieced everything together in a matter of seconds, everything was clear. The feeling of excitement returned to him as he prepared to explain everything. "You saw Kamek." He said finally. Luigi's eyes snapped to him, though his face remained motionless, "what?"

"You saw more than a shadow. You saw Kamek… and he _is_ everything evil."

"I know, I saw it…"

"Yes, but you don't understand it." Luigi was silent as Kalliel continued. "Your mother was a disciple." Luigi nodded, confirming that statement. "The majority of the surviving members thought that she was going to be the one who would destroy Kamek." There was a pause, "That… was disputable, so to say. She wasn't a knight. She was training, yes, but she hadn't gotten there just yet. Anyway, apparently your parents were able to get you out of the kingdom before Kamek had a chance to kill you."

Luigi decided to interject a quick comment, "Kamek tried to kidnap my brother and I before that." Kalliel stopped and locked eyes with him. "He only got me though."

"It confuses me. Why didn't he kill you then?"

Luigi's face fell. "After you and your brother were returned, Kamek tried to destroy both bloodlines once and for all. Keep in mind, that he only exists to destroy. You see, Luigi, Kamek saw something before and after you were captured; yes, he saw you and your brother causing trouble for Bowser, but after he had you in his grasp, he saw something else. He saw someone of your family's bloodline destroying_ him_. He went after your mother because she… is descended from me."

Luigi looked up at him. "Wait… does this mean that I… have to call you grandpa or something?" Kalliel looked utterly befuddled. "Oh, heavens no! 1500 years ago, maybe. But it's been too much time for it to really matter…. Anyway. She was gifted with foresight, much like Madame Clairvoya is, and she also foresaw the tragic day of her death. Both she and her husband feared for your safety, and that is why they sent you away. She died knowing that you would restore order back to the world."

"How did she die?" Luigi asked. "I remember light, lots of it and… then it's blank."

Kalliel nodded, "She invoked the power of the sword. Disciples can wield the sword, but to use its power would cost them their souls, Mages can only use the sword as one would use any normal sword. Knights are really the only ones who can wield it with no drawbacks."

"Thank you for explaining that," Luigi said.

"As I was saying, your mother used the sword against Kamek, hoping that it would destroy him, though in the process, she destroyed herself." Kalliel cleared his throat as Luigi looked down uncomfortably. He then asked in a small voice, "What exactly happened to her?"

"…"

* * *

Apollo burst through the huge mahogany doors, slammed them shut and bolted them as a massive wave of angry looking Koopas, goombas, and Dark Koopatrols barreled towards him. "DAMN IT!" He rammed the first Koopatrol with his shoulder, causing it to fly back into a group of goombas. The flat part of his blade connected with a koopa, rendering it unconscious and, with a swift kick, sent it flying through the ranks. Several minutes of punching, kicking, and swinging his sword seemed to have not even made a dent in the numbers. By now, Apollo was getting somewhat impatient and let out an angered growl to show that displeasure.

"Yo! Yo!" A toad called from a high window before tossing a fire flower down to the warrior. He reached up and caught it and let out a small 'urk' as the power of flower changed him. His armor instantly became maroon; his cape, snow white. He raised his thumb and index finger to his mouth as if he were going to whistle and blew, causing a huge stream of fire to project itself through the hall.

Apollo scoffed as the flames cleared, leaving a smoldering, yet clear way to the entrance, where he saw Kamek floating on his broom, lowering his wand thus negating a shield. Apollo glared as several more troops moved to enter the ash-littered hall before being stopped by Kamek. Apollo leaned forward and took off at a run, pointing his sword back and gathering a ball of fire in his hand. He leapt into the air before he reached Kamek and released the ball. He smirked as he raised the sword. Kamek then did something completely unexpected. He extended his arm and transformed it into a writhing appendage of shadow. He whipped it up and batted away the flame before retracting it and shooting it forward, piercing Apollo's shoulder. "GAH!" He yelled as the power of the fire flower dissipated and the original colors of his armor and cape returned. His arm gave a violent twitch as he dropped the sword.

"See what happens when you get cocky?" He retracted his arm, though it continued to writhe like a tentacle. Apollo crashed to the floor, grasping his bloody, broken shoulder. As he picked up his sword, Kamek, using his arm as a whip, back-handed Apollo and sent him flying back into the double-doors. Apollo staggered to his feet and leaned with his back against the door. His head was spinning and his armor was slick from the blood. Kamek advanced, slowly melting into shadow. Once again, she sword slipped from Apollo's hand and his eyes widened as the monster advanced on him.

Meanwhile in the throne room, Delilah had flinched at the smash against the door. She heard the scream. She focused her attention back to the sword in her hands, which had just begun to glow. What had unnerved her in the first place was the sudden loss of so many lives. She had felt all of them snuff out in a second. Now, one last one was dwindling. The thought, brought tears to her eyes. Apollo was dying and there was nothing she could do.

The doors before her crashed open as a massive THUD sounded. Beyond the doors stood Kamek, the shadow demon. She watched as a figure crashed to the floor, bounced a few times and skidded to a stop at her feet. The sight made her sick to her stomach. Apollo lay bloodied on his back, gasping and trying to open his eyes. Two holes riddled his torso; one through his shoulder, the other… through his stomach. "Dee…" He silently mouthed the words 'I love you' before closing his eyes.

"Don't wait up for me," Delilah muttered sadly. She choked back the tears as she felt his life snuff out, the feeling like a small punch to the stomach. She pointed the gleaming sword at the demon that had now entered the throne room. His head barely touched the ceiling as he advanced, teeth gleaming. The mark on Delilah's forehead flared to life as a beam of pure white light shot from the tip of the sword directly at Kamek. The creature screeched as smoke began to waft from the places where the beam struck. After a sufficient amount of smoke had appeared, she raised the sword, pointing the beam skyward. Kamek continued to shriek ad he clawed at the burnt, shadowy, flesh.

The sword grew brighter and brighter, bathing the room in light. Kamek shielded his eyes, grumbling in a split voice, "It's a damn shame I didn't kill you sooner." Delilah paid no heed to his words._Hold on for another few minutes,_ she told herself. By now, only half of her was visible, and the other half was disappearing fast. Finally, the sword let out a pulsating wave, then another.

She looked to Kamek with fading vision, "I'll see you in hell!" A final wave of blinding light flashed inside of the castle. Kamek's scream was lost amidst the rush. The shadow collapsed into a pool where it gathered and reformed into the original shape of a lowly magikoopa. The sword hung suspended in midair as several sparkles of light swirled about before disappearing. The sword returned to its worn steel coloration and clattered to the floor.

Kamek clambered to his feet. He extended his arm to see if any fragment of his former power still remained. Nothing…

"…" His eye twitched. "Grrr… DAMN IT!" he screamed to the ceiling. He lowered his head and arms. "Stuck as a magikoopa until god knows when!" He hissed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the sword lying on the ground next to Apollo's body. He gathered it up in his paws and left the castle alone. If he had any say in things, he would make sure that this weapon would never be found.

* * *

"The good thing was she didn't die painfully. The bad?... well, Kamek's power was only severely cut, not destroyed," Kalliel sat back in his chair and sighed. Luigi sat silent and motionless. He didn't remember much about his parents' deaths, but he felt a small sense of comfort in the fact that they had died to protect something. He was a firm believer in those ideals.

"And you?" Luigi finally spoke up. "How do you know all this?" Kalliel sat for a moment. "I had been asleep in limbo for 1500 years. Your mother managed to awaken me before all of that happened.

"What about the sword?" Luigi questioned. He was feeling much better now, thankfully. Kalliel crossed his arms over his chest and thought. "I'm not sure… It may have been returned to the Star Chamber. "We could go see… if you're feeling up to it."

"Of course," Luigi said, heaving himself off of the bed. He cradled Maverick in his arms as he followed the ghost out of the infirmary and down several flights of stairs. Finally, they entered a large hallway. Large gothic arches extended into the darkness, while large stone statues lined the walls. Luigi began to get the impression that he was being watched. Finally, they reached a large circular room that was empty, save for the large statues of the stars that lined the walls. Each one a guardian star, each with its own story. In the center, stood a low-set stone pedestal and at the far wall, a large statue of Lazarus sat kneeling. The statue's hands were cradling a round stone tablet, on which sat an empty scabbard. Kalliel ran over and picked it up with a disappointed "Hmmm…"

Luigi walked over to the stone circle and stood on it. His eyes widened as the mark on his forehead flared to life and the floor beneath him became etched with thin lines of bright-blue flame. "Oops…" Luigi stated. Kalliel whipped around and smiled before kneeling. As the floor was filling out, Luigi made a rather random statement. "Wow, heh, from what I can see here and from what Mario's told me…. This is a lot like the room where the thousand-year door was."

Kalliel looked up, "Yes. This room and that one were built in the same style. The star haven is built in this style too."

The floor around the pedestal shimmered with intricate lines and runes. Structures of the stars did bear some resemblance in their habits. Seven small circles around the pedestal flared to life, each holding a different element. Fire, Water, Ice, Earth, Lightning, Light and Darkness. Each element formed an orb and began to glow. Luigi felt his feet leave the floor. "Ah! What's goin' on!"

Kalliel brushed some hair from his face, "Don't worry, I think you'll find the outcome to be to your advantage."

"…" Luigi stared as he was encased in light for a brief moment. The light soon faded, and he felt his feet back on solid ground, his arms outstretched to the sides, head turned to the ceiling. The light retracted before it projected itself outward. Luigi blinked several times before realizing he had been granted a new ability. He spun around and put two fingers up in a 'V for Victory' pose. "Ha-ha!" He nodded and lowered his arm. "Ahem… sorry, old habit," he muttered sheepishly.

Kalliel laughed a bit, "Charming… I did something like that." He walked over to the young knight, carrying the empty scabbard. "You just learned 'St. Elmo's Fire.' It's a move that fuses electricity and fire and is very devastating in the hands of a powerful mage. I'm sure you can also use it for other things, too." Luigi took the scabbard from his mentor's hands and examined it.

"I guess it's lost, then, huh?"

Kalliel shook his head. "My, memory's bad. But…" He turned away and placed his hand to his temple. "Kamek said he buried it… somewhere in the South….sea, I think. I'm pretty sure… yeah."

"Well, where are we going to come up with an excuse to leave? Oh, hey guys, guess what? I'm going on a two week tirade in the south sea, don't know where I'm-a going, but I'm goin' anyway!" He chortled as Maverick helped him strap the scabbard to his back. Kalliel chuckled at his statement as Maverick gave a sharp chirp to let them know that the final buckle was fastened.

Kalliel suddenly gave out a commanding bark, "As you were!" Luigi whipped around in time to see the stone statues in the hallway jump back to their stoic positions. "My God," He breathed, "I knew we were being watched."

"They aren't anything to be afraid of. Those are the 'Guardians' I was talking about earlier. Damn curiosity is going to get them into trouble," Kalliel continued to glare through the hallway as Luigi shifted uneasily.

"By the way… how are we supposed to get back?" Luigi questioned wearily.

"There are pipes. They're very old though… what?"

Luigi stood with a somewhat dumbfounded look, "There were pipes this whole time…Oy…"

Kalliel sighed. "Well, I won't go deeper into the matter. Let's just worry about getting you back home and focus on finding the sword."

"Yes… let's… Boy, I could go for a stiff drink right about now."

Luigi said little on the way out of the temple. Outside, amongst the giant pillars, they wandered about for several moments before Kalliel stopped and snapped his fingers. There was a small rumble as a large, stone-colored pipe burst forth from the ground. "Where is this going to take us?" Luigi asked flatly. He was exhausted, that was it.

"Somewhere in the woods outside of Toad Town," He responded.

"Good, it's not that far from the house then…" Luigi mumbled as he climbed into the old pipe. Once again, he felt the familiar suction as he disappeared down into the hole. Maverick followed closely behind him and Kalliel zipped down right before the pipe popped back down again. After a few seconds of speedy traveling, Luigi felt the familiar effects of Negative G's as he was hurled into the air. The three of them landed with WHUMPS and were soon headed up the hill towards the house.

"When I get home, I'm going to sleep…pure and simple," Luigi sighed, stretching beneath the leather straps of the scabbard. It felt strange against his back, yet at the same time, was comforting. Another few minutes of steady hiking, and the trio found themselves approaching the white-washed walls of Luigi's Mansion. Almost to the door, Luigi's shoulders drooped. He thought he heard… shouting.

He shook it off and grasped the handle. Then he heard it officially, sounds of multiple, angry voices coming from inside. Luigi took a deep breath as Maverick gripped his shoulders, and opened the door. Inside the foyer, Luigi saw the Professor, Shivers, both princesses, Mario and much to his surprise, Wario and Waluigi. The entire congregation continued to argue, apparently not having noticed his entrance.

"I don't know where he ran off to!" Professor Gadd shouted.

"I called the police! What more can we do!" Shivers shouted over the noise.

"Aww, everyone just shut up! We've established the fact that the idiot's not here!" Waluigi groaned.

Luigi snapped to attention and cleared his throat. The room fell silent. Everyone turned to face him. Luigi certainly was a sight: Dirtied, slightly torn clothes, various scrapes, and to top it all off, and empty sword scabbard attached to his back. "I'm fine…" He breathed. His eyes darted over to the grandfather clock in the corner. The face read 2:39. Kalliel walked over and stood next to him. Gadd shook his head, "You're a…"

Kalliel nodded. He was quite aware that he was still transparent. "Guys… this is Kalliel. He's my mentor… yes, he's a ghost," Luigi raised his hand as he spoke; cutting Mario off before he could interject. "Make him feel welcome… he staying here with us now." He made his way over to the stairs. "I'm going to bed, now… please excuse me." As he climbed the stairs, Mario went to speak. "What-?"

Luigi stuck out his hand and continued walking, "Hablaba… I don't want to hear it…" He disappeared into his room.

Kalliel moved up, "I believe you are all deserving of an explanation, however sadly, I am not the one to give it to you."

Waluigi stared at the armor-clad ghost momentarily, "You talk funny…" This earned him a sharp jab to the ribs from his older brother. Kalliel continued. "All you need to know is that Luigi has been through several arduous tasks and needs his rest. I'm sure he will not hesitate to explain on the morrow."

"Good enough for me," Wario shrugged. "Come on idjit! We'll be back tomorrow." He said to his lanky brother. Waluigi followed him, grumbling. The girls giggled as Maverick zoomed around them in circles. "Well, I'm certainly glad to see you're okay, hon," Daisy smiled, patting Maverick on the head.

"Oh, he's just so adorable," Peach crooned and Maverick hovered in front of her with a squeak.

"Listen," Daisy said to Kalliel, "We'll come back in the morning to check on him, okay?"

"Of course, your highness." The knight and princesses bowed to one another before they strolled out the door. Shivers floated over to the fellow ghost. "If I may have the pleasure of showing you to your room, sir?" He motioned to the stairs. Kalliel nodded and followed the older man up to the second floor and into a guest room, leaving a rather confused and surprised Gadd scratching his head. "This will do nicely, Thank you, friend."

"Not at all, sir. Shivers turned to leave. "Oh… Madame Clairvoya wishes to speak with you. Anytime you are convenient." The knight nodded, not wanting to question how she knew he was here. Shivers disappeared through the floor. Kalliel stood for a moment, then with a nod, vanished through the floor and into the fortune-teller's den. He touched his forehead and with the same hand, touched the crystal ball, which emitted a strong light. Madame Clairvoya emerged once more from her crystal.

"It's me Madam," Kalliel stated softly.

"Oh, my dear boy, it is good to see you again in person." She looked him up and down, "were you able to find it?" Kalliel shook his head. "Wait one moment." With that, he flew up through the floorboards. Several seconds later, he returned with the scabbard in his hands. "Thank heavens he's asleep, he's been through too much today as it is." He handed her the scabbard.

"Mmhmm," She sat at her table and closed her eyes, softly chanting "Spirits, come to meee!" Several long minutes passed.

"Where exactly is it?" He questioned. She opened her almond-eyes. "I see it… it is in the South Sea…ah, but what is this?" Kalliel stared at her as she continued. "It seems someone had already beaten you to it…a tribe of strange yoshis has it in their possession… they will most likely not give it up without a fight."

Kalliel buried his face in his hands, "Ohh… great. This could get very annoying."

"Mmhmm…" She folded her hands on the table. "How do you think he's coming along?"

Kalliel shrugged. "It's too early to say… though he shows great signs of promise." Madame Clairvoya's brow furrowed. Kalliel looked to her, "Something vexes thee, my lady?"

"When do plan on leaving?"

He shrugged, "Whenever Luigi's ready to go. Hopefully in a few days. He seemed pretty Gung-ho in the sanctum."

"It's because he doesn't know what he's in for…" Madame Clairvoya replied gravely. There was a long pause between the two. "Well… I shall think on it, Good night, my lord."

Kalliel stood with a nod as the fortune teller vanished into the ball again. He looked down at his old sword sheath. "Thus the journey begins…"

* * *

A/N: Yah, so not much to say here. Other than I'm sorry for the wait. A lot more will be explained in the next few chapters, I know I kind of left some loose ends, but don't worry, It's going to even out soon.

And Agh! My god… I couldn't incorporate funny in the last couple of chapters… I NEED FUNNY! Don't worry, the silliness will be back next chappie, I promise


	8. Vendetta

**A/N: **Let me start off by saying wow. Chapter 6 got me over 150 page views o.O Nice. Thanks for the reviews too. Alrighty then, with that said, let's move on to chapter 8, shall we? Ah something else I forgot. Kalliel's name is actually pronounced 'KAH-lliel' (Emphasis on the first Syllable) instead of 'kah-LLIEL.' I dunno, to me it sounds better. Eh whatever you guys like best. Oh, I _HAD_ to do a Finding Nemo reference, I just couldn't resist! And one more quick note. The Manticores are actual creatures… Just... I redesigned them :D

And I apologize that there are no page breaks... apparently the button is not working

**Chapter 8: Vendetta**

Luigi woke up around 9:30 the next morning. He sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes. That night had been the first dreamless one he slept through in a long time. He shook his head, stood up and massaged his neck. He had forgotten two things; he still had the scabbard attached to his back and… he had forgotten to shower. "Ick…" he muttered, looking down at his ruined clothes. He undid the straps of the scabbard and allowed it to fall backwards onto the bed before grabbing a change of clothes and heading to the bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later, he felt brand new again. He dressed quickly in his usual green shirt and overalls, grabbed his hat and bolted downstairs where he found Professor Gadd and Maverick sitting at the table eating a quick breakfast.

"Ah, the triumphant return," the Professor said, acknowledging Luigi's entrance. Maverick looked up from the cookie he was gnawing on and burbled his cheerful morning hello.

"Hey guys…" He said somewhat embarrassed. "Listen professor, I'm sorry about all that yesterday. I had a…bit of a rough time yesterday."

Gadd looked at him over his coffee with an emotionless face, causing the guilt inside of Luigi to grow. The professor gave up on keeping his face still and jumped up onto the table with an ecstatic grin. "Why should you be sorry!" He jumped on Luigi, hugging him around the neck. "Oh you brilliant boy! Ha-Ha! You got through the floor, I'm so proud of you!" He laughed jovially before dropping back down to the floor.

"Well, if it wasn't for Maverick, here, I wouldn't have gotten through."

"Maverick, eh?" Gadd asked looking over to the little boo who was still gnawing on his cookie. "Well, I'm certainly pleased to see you safe and sound after the other night, Maverick. That's a very sophisticated name ya' got there sonny." Maverick looked up, squeaked happily and continued gnawing.

Luigi laughed, "You're just going to town with that cookie, aren't you?"

Maverick looked up again. "Bwee!" He said with a large grin. "Ah!" He chirped as he covered his mouth, realizing he had just shown them his food.

Gadd chuckled, "'See-food' huh? I bet you're pretty hungry."

Luigi smiled. "I better call everyone and apologize for yesterday," He said, making his way over to the phone. The professor nodded.

Luigi dialed several numbers, taking several moments to apologize for his stand-offish behavior yesterday and to invite them over to just hang out. All in all, he called Mario, Daisy, Peach, the three Hammer Bros. that made up his team, and he even left a message at Wario's place. Not that it would really matter; he knew they didn't give a shroom's worth about him.

He placed the phone down after leaving his message at his Rival's place and sighed.

"Well now… what's all this?" Kalliel asked walking into the dining room. Luigi looked at him. "Why don't you go put some shorts on? It's pretty hot out."

Kalliel looked down at his clothes. "Well, I didn't have much say in my choice of attire. Your butler absconded with my armor and coat, and left me with these." He was referring to the pair of grey sweatpants and azure T-shirt.

Luigi smiled. "Well, I've got a couple pair that might fit you, why don't you go change?"

Kalliel looked slightly uneasy, "Erm… forgive me. But it's strange enough being stuck in an unfamiliar age in unfamiliar clothes. They are more comfortable… but still!"

Luigi smirked at him, "Well, consider this a form of payback for yesterday," he said with a grin. "Come on, Grandpa," He said, ushering him up the stairs.

"That's not so! It would actually be more correct to say we are distant cousins!" Kalliel protested. They exited the dining room, leaving a very confused Professor Elvin Gadd.

"And may I say that I did not have any control over yesterday's events. I didn't expect for you to see your parents!"

Luigi stopped and turned to him, his smile dropping. "Aw, man… I didn't mean for you to take it seriously…I apologize."

Kalliel stopped and sighed in frustration. "God… I am so mentally challenged!"

Now it was Luigi's turn to give reassurance. He understood his new friend's predicament. Kalliel wasn't stupid, Luigi could quickly tell that he was a strategic genius, much in the same way he was. He was just confused, and was lost in this strange new world.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up about it." Luigi offered a smile.

Kalliel gave him a smirk. "I bet if you were stuck in my world, the tables would be completely turned."

"There you go! Just dish it back out!" Luigi opened the door to the master bedroom (His room), and went over to his chest of drawers. "You're probably right." He pulled out a pair of black, knee-length athletic shorts; the kind he normally wore during Soccer practice, "Morals and ideals are so different these days." He nodded before continuing, "Yeah… I'd be pretty lost."

He handed the article of clothing to Kalliel. "Go ahead and change, it's too hot for sweatpants." He went to the door. "Trust me, once my training starts; I'll be the one asking _you_ for help." He left him in peace and walked back down to the living room. This proclamation of eagerness gave Kalliel new heart.

Right as Luigi got back to the kitchen, the doorbell rang. "Ah!" He hurried out to the main foyer and leapt over the stair guardrail in a quick flip. Tucking his knees to his chin, he quickly brought his feet pointing back down to the floor. Landing perfectly, he made his way over to the twin front doors and opened them. Something hard and green flew in and knocked him onto his back.

"Agh…" he groaned as he looked at what had bowled him over. Breaker sat on his chest with his arms wrapped tightly around his neck. Luigi gasped as Breaker began sobbing. Hammer and Marius made their way inside.

"Weeegeeee! Waaahhh! They told me you were de-e-ead!" he sobbed.

"It's…urk, okay Breaker… I'm okay…Ack! Can't…breathe!" Luigi choked.

Marius walked forward, "Breaker, come on… you're just getting yourself worked up. See? I told you Luigi's fine. Now please get off of him before you suffocate him."

"Yeah, doofus! Get offa him!" Hammer scolded his brother. Breaker hopped off and with a quick bop to Hammer's head, wiped the last few tears away. Luigi took a few seconds to catch his breath before asking if Breaker if he was alright.

With a sniff, Breaker replied. "Yeah… I'm okay. But, man, don't scare me like that!" He smiled up at Luigi before holding something up. "I brought the ball; do you think we could play today?"

"Sure," Luigi said, taking the soccer ball and placing it beneath his arm. He looked to the three of them. It always surprised him to see them in normal clothes. Marius was dressed in his usual shorts, but he was wearing a green hoodie, giving him somewhat of a 'Koops' look. The brothers wore similar shorts, different shirts. Hammer had on a plain grey T-shirt while Breaker wore a black shirt with the words '100 Guaranteed Disgruntled Employee of the month,' on it.

Kalliel appeared next to Luigi out of thin air, causing the young man to jump. "You're still jumpy?" He asked with a grin.

"Oh, hello," Marius said to the new arrival. He extended his hand, shaking Kalliel's warmly. Inwardly, he wondered about this curious man. Where had he come from? Breaker and Hammer had been talking about how someone had told them that Luigi had a new ghost living with him and the professor. He seemed pretty solid enough. Even more curious was that he had a calm, somewhat young-looking face, but he was graying slightly at the temples. "I'm Marius, by the way."

Hammer jumped on top of Marius's head and extended his hand, "Hiya! I'm Hammer!" Breaker followed suit and jumped atop his brother's head. "I'm obnoxious!" He said, bringing his face close to Kalliel's.

"That-That's Breaker…" Luigi said, trying to conceal a laugh. Kalliel released his hold on Marius's hand and shook Breaker's, his other hand still being shaken furiously by Hammer.

"Very charmed to meet you all," He said politely. Beneath the other two, Marius groaned before overbalancing, sending the three of them tumbling across the floor. "Ow… What were you two thinking?" He scolded.

The other two shrugged and ran off for the kitchen. Luigi looked to Kalliel. "That's my team."

"What sport?"

"Soccer," Luigi replied proudly. Kalliel nodded, "You mean football." Luigi opened his mouth to argue before he remembered that 'Football,' was the original name for soccer. "Sure." The doorbell rang again. This time, Shivers was there to answer it. He opened the door to reveal Luigi's brother and the two princesses.

Luigi paused before a smile found its way to his lips. "Hi guys."

Back inside Bowser's keep, Kamek sat in his quarters. He had double-bolted the door and had been sitting silently for almost a day now. Bowser had come by several times to order him out, but Kamek had remained quiet, ignoring his master's barking commands. Finally, he slid off of his stool, still rather peeved, grabbed his wand, and made his way to the back of the room where a door sat, locked.

He opened it after fishing several strange-looking keys from his pocket. Kamek threw the heavy wooden door open and strode through, listening as it crashed heavily against the wall. He grumbled to himself as he walked to the back of the room where a large black box sat. With an incantation and a burst of red light, the box opened. Kamek reached in and grabbed the three large, onyx crystals out of the black, velvet- lined interior. Kamek stared at the hundreds of tiny reflections in each of the facets before tapping each one with his wand, causing them to glow faintly around the edges with a bluish light.

"Your master has need of your services once more… wake up, you morons!" He snapped after several moments. The crystals quivered as whatever was inside of them scrambled in vain to get out of their dark prisons. Kamek grumbled as he threw them to the floor, shattering them into a hundred glittering fragments. Three small pools of black goo burbled out and began to materialize into three sinister lion-like creatures.

Kamek sneered as he watched them clamber to their feet. It was too dark to see any of their features, but three pairs of glowing yellow eyes glared out attentively; fixated on their master. Kamek stared at each pair of eyes before speaking. "You've been locked up for quite a while now, haven't you?" He paused as the eyes looked fearfully into his. "I want you to find the new knight… lure him out. Test him, if you will and find out exactly who he is. With a bit of luck, you might be able to get rid of those pesky plumbers so lord Bowser will get off of my back about it." The fearful look in the shadow cats' eyes vanished, being replaced with an eager glare.

"One last thing…" His tone became low and poisonous. "Should you fail, I'll do more than imprison you again…" The creatures growled their agreement and bolted out of the dark back room. Kamek watched as one by one, they leapt to the single window and ran down the side of the tower. Out in the dim light of Dark land, their features became plain as they hopped off of the tower and took off along the ground.

Dark, agile bodies skimmed the ground, the muscles in each of their four legs shone as they sped onward. Their faces were something of an oddity; they were feline, with the face of a lion, three rows of sharp fangs and a short, shadowy mane. Their faces faded slightly in and out, with their golden eyes glowing angrily. Their tails were large and scorpion-like and they sported two thin whip-like tentacles from their shoulders. Kamek watched as they disappeared over the ridge, leaving tiny puffs of shadow wherever their feet fell. Though their feet were masked by small clouds of shadow, Kamek knew good and well that they concealed claws strong enough to slash steel. They were Manticores; and they had been sent to do his bidding.

Kamek smiled as he walked back to his door. He cleared his throat and changed the look on his face to one of uneasiness. He opened the door to find a rather pissed-looking Bowser glaring down his nose at him.

"It's about time you came outta there!" He growled as his old caretaker offered a low bow. "Now stop being all emo and get out here! We need to figure out another way we can get rid of those meddlesome Marios!"

"Of course, your grumpiness," Kamek said humbly. Oh how he longed how he could have his power back. Then _he_ wouldn't be ordered around like this. Until that day came, however… he was still a lowly magikoopa, damned to a life of servitude. That is, until his power returned. That damn woman that had cut him down… he hissed at the very thought of her, and fumed at the fact that he had not given her the chance to suffer before she died. He sighed inwardly as he followed his master down the hall.

A few hours later, back at Luigi's mansion, the majority of the guests stood around a makeshift soccer pitch on the front lawn. Breaker and Hammer had gotten several lawn chairs and put them behind the 'sidelines' while they had gotten a can of orange spray paint and made a few marks on some trees, marking the goal posts. Mario and Luigi squared off as the last few minutes of the game began winding down.

Seeing as how Mario's team couldn't make it, he had chosen Kalliel, and the girls, and had put Biff Atlas, who had come out of the weight room when someone had mentioned soccer, as the goalie. Maverick played goalie for Luigi, after giving him sad puppy eyes and a pleading 'meep.'

Shivers had gladly agreed to play referee as the two captains stared each other down. He gave a final tweet of his whistle and started the stopwatch he held in his hand back up. The small digital numbers ticked down as the teams sprinted back and forth across the pitch. "3…2…1…TWEEEEEEEEEEEEET!" Shivers blew the whistle as the timer hit zero; which was just as Luigi did a back-flip kick, sending the ball rocketing into Mario's goal.

"Oooooh, bro! You got-a lucky on-a that one," Mario commented.

Luigi smirked. "What was the final score Shivers?"

"3 to 4, sir," the butler replied with a smile. "Master Luigi's team won." Breaker and Hammer slapped each other high fives as the teams exchanged comments. Kalliel found himself pelted with praise and awe, "Where did you learn to do that?"

Kalliel smiled, "In my time, football games were played to solve minor political issues and, more or less, I was chosen to be the captain of our country's team." True to the comments, Kalliel had shown some impressive flips and footwork that even rivaled Luigi's. Marius nodded appreciatively before saying to Luigi, "If only problems nowadays could be solved that way."

Luigi laughed as he extended his hand, "Well, good job anyway." Luigi paused as he let loose a small chuckle. "Maybe we can see if we get you on the team."

Kalliel laughed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Breaker grabbed a hold of Luigi's legs, "Naw, Weege, don't replace meeeeeee!" he blubbered.

Luigi looked down at the hammer bro. secured around his ankles, "It's okay, man. I was just kidding. I wouldn't ever think about replacing you." He reached down and patted Breaker on the head.

"Oh Good!" He hopped up with a smile. Kalliel nodded, "And I'm quite positive that the officials would not allow one of my… 'Spirituality', so to speak, to participate in such events." The group of friends wandered back up to the house and into the foyer, where the girls made their way out back to the pool deck.

"Hey Weege," Breaker said holding out a blindfold. "Hammer and I've gotta surprise for ya!" His brother grinned eagerly as Luigi shrugged and put it on. "ohh….kay?"

"Okay, okayokayokay, okay okay, okay," Hammer stammered.

"Shut up!" Breaker said as he bopped him on the head. Each one grabbed one of Luigi's wrists and pulled. Luigi followed them, seeing as he had no other alternate choice.

"Watch your head," Breaker said as Luigi ran into the door post. He shook his head. "Thanks for the heads up."

Mario and the others exchanged looks before grinning and following the other three out onto the pool deck where Peach and Daisy were sitting with their feet in the water. Daisy saw them coming and moved out of the way as Breaker and Hammer brought Luigi to the edge.

"Okay, you can look now!" The twins said as Luigi slowly removed the blindfold. Their voices echoed slightly in the large pool hall, instantly making Luigi suspicious. As he lowered the blindfold, his suspicions came to be true, Breaker, Hammer, and surprisingly Marius leapt onto him, causing the four of them to topple into the cool, blue water with a loud splash.

Mario laughed as they surfaced gasping for breath. Luigi laughed as well as Marius clambered out of the pool and shook the excess water off of him. He then turned back around and grinned.

"That was surprising Marius," Luigi commented as he floated to the edge and looked up at him, "especially coming from you."

Marius couldn't help but smirk. "Well, we didn't have enough Gatorade to dump on you, so we decided this would be better… and not as messy," he shrugged and looked back at the two boys who were splashing each other. Peach and Mario finished giggling.

Luigi rested his elbows on the concrete and looked up at them while Breaker and Hammer dunked each other. He looked to Kalliel, pondering whether or not he should tell them about the cavern beneath his house, about seeing his parents, about everything.

"_It's up to you, you know."_

Luigi paused, staring up at him with wide eyes. Kalliel gave a small smile before silently communicating, _"I told you, I'm telepathic… and whether you're up to talking to them about it, that's your decision."_

"Luigi?" Daisy asked, raising an eyebrow. Luigi shook his head and rubbed his hand across his face. "I'm fine, just tired." He gave her a loving smile as she extended a delicate hand to help him out of the pool. He accepted it and pulled himself up. At the last moment, however, he overbalanced and brought the two of them crashing back into the water with a cry.

Everyone on the side of the pool laughed heartily as they surfaced. "You okay?" Luigi asked apologetically. Daisy nodded slyly before shoving him down beneath the surface with a laugh.

After reemerging, Luigi looked back up to Kalliel, who was chuckling warmly. "Do ghosts swim?"

Kalliel looked up for a moment in thought, "I'm not sure… Why-AH!" He exclaimed as Maverick appeared behind him and shoved him over the edge. He didn't go in with a splash, but when he stuck his head out of the water, he was clearly wet.

Professor Gadd sat with a notebook and pencil in one of the deck chairs, scribbling excitedly in his notes. "Who would have thought ghosts _could_ swim."

They all treaded water for a few moments before everyone except for the professor decided to jump in.

"I would love to," Gadd said after they all had gone in, "sadly, I'm afraid that I can't swim very well." He smiled as he went back to his notes. "I'm perfectly content sitting right here."

Mario left the congregation early that evening, making Luigi worry about him, "Normally he doesn't leave that soon." Luigi said as he said goodbye to his guests. "Peach, you don't think he's sick?"

"Oh no. I'm sure he just has other things on his mind," Peach replied, gently patting her confidant on the back. He gave her a small smile as she left. Daisy ran up and threw her arms around his neck, swinging around him with a "wheeee!"

"Thanks for the bash, hon," she said giving him a tight squeeze. Maverick appeared from thin air between them with a happy 'Squeee.' Daisy giggled and gave him a kiss on his little head before planting a smooch on Luigi's cheek. He bid her and the others good night and disappeared back into the house.

He made the decision to pay Mario a friendly visit in the morning to check up on him.


	9. Opportunity

A/N: Gah… sorry for the wait. School's been a bitch… here's chapter 9

* * *

**Chapter 9: Opportunity **

Early the next morning, Luigi bounded down the stairs to the hallway and wandered into the kitchen to find his ghostly butler just beginning to make breakfast. As he entered the kitchen, he gave a brisk "Good morning."

Shivers jumped slightly, "Oh… Master Luigi. You startled me," he said, clutching a box of pancake mix.

"Whatcha making?" Luigi asked as he grabbed a carton of orange juice from the refrigerator.

"Belgian Waffles," Shivers replied with a grin as Luigi polished off the last of the juice. He tossed the empty carton into the garbage can and adjusted his hat before making his way to the back door. "Sir, will you be out long?" Shivers questioned as Luigi laid his hand on the door's handle. "Breakfast will be ready soon."

"Don't worry, I'm just going over to Mario's place for a few minutes. I'll be right back." He gave one last smile before stepping out into the brisk September morning. He made his way over to the pipe in the grass and jumped in. After several minutes of rapid pipe travel, he reached his destination, marked by a pinpoint of light at the end. He slowed to a stop and cautiously climbed out of the pipe, extending his legs as he dropped to the ground.

"Mario!" he casually called, walking up the steps of the house. Oh, how familiar the old cabin felt, but, something was amiss. The windows were dark and there was a note tacked to the door. Luigi's good mood suddenly began to lower as he reached up and tore it off. Just as his eyes scanned the top, a familiar voice met his ears.

"Mail call!" Parakarry barked as he fluttered to the mushroom-painted mailbox. Luigi hurried out to catch him before he left. "Ah, Luigi! How are things flyin' on your end?" He asked, pulling out a letter. Luigi shrugged, "Pretty good." Parakarry spotted the note in Luigi's hand. "Uh-oh? Is Mario not here?"

"I don't know…" Luigi said as he quickly read the letter out loud. "Out of town, be back in a week- Mario." Luigi sighed, clearly annoyed, "Means he's run off on an adventure without me… again." _That's why he left so early last night. _Luigi sighed again and shook his head, his mouth becoming a thin line.

Parakarry glanced at the single letter in his hand, and then looked to Luigi. "Hey, don't let it get you down. Here…" He held out the letter, "The sender said that he didn't care which Mario brother got it as long as they got some help," he said as he gave Luigi a smile. "Well, I got to get moving… lots of letters to deliver you know, and with that, I'm off!" He said as he rocketed back upwards. Luigi waved to him as he disappeared into the wide blue sky.

Walking back to the pipe, he slid the heavy parchment envelope into his pocket and leapt back into the hole.

He arrived back at the house still fuming as he walked around and through the back door. He trudged into the kitchen and sat down at the table where everyone was already eating.

"Hi Weege!" Breaker and Hammer chimed as he grabbed himself a plate of food. Luigi perked up slightly at seeing their faces, "What are you two doing here?"

"Well, you looked kinda bummed last night, so we came over to cheer you up… and Shivers offered us food… We couldn't resist," Hammer beamed.

"Yeah," Breaker continued, "Plus, we came to see our new buddy again." He motioned to Maverick as he appeared behind them. The little boo grinned, showing his small teeth as he slapped Breaker a high five. "I don't know his name, but he's my homie!" He grinned. "'Sup Homie?"

Maverick squeaked as he flew in circles around his new friend's head. Luigi smiled, feeling a little better, "his name's Maverick, just for future reference."

"So, Luigi," Gadd said, lowering the newspaper he was reading and taking a sip of his Hoolumbian coffee, "What's up with your brother?" At this, Luigi's ire was provoked once more into flaring up. He clenched his fists and fumed. "He's gone adventuring with out me."

"Again?" Breaker asked before Hammer slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Yeah," Luigi's lip curled into a sneer. "Oh dear." Kalliel muttered. Breaker's eyes widened, "I feel lighter," he said absently. Gadd looked over his paper once more before looking around and down at the ground. "Luigi, take a deep breath and calm down… you're making the furniture float." Kalliel dropped his fork when he realized that his chair was indeed hovering a few inches off of the ground.

Luigi closed his eyes and removed his hat, taking a slow breath. At that instant, the table and chairs fell back to the ground with loud Bumps. "Thank you," The professor said, looking around to make sure nothing had spilled. Everyone else sat silent for a few moments. "Cooool…" Breaker muttered.

"I had no idea you could control gravity," Kalliel whispered. Luigi shook his head. "I don't have any control over it. It just happens when I get really angry." Normally, Luigi didn't get angry over some of the things Mario did, but going on an adventure without him? That did it.

The heavy silence was interrupted by a THWAP as Gadd threw his paper at Luigi's head. "Dang it, Boy! Stop it! You're doing it again!" Luigi shook his head as the chairs came back down to the floor. Breaker laughed, "Ha-ha! That was fun!"

Maverick came forward and licked Luigi on the nose. Luigi sighed one final time, his anger forgotten and patted him on the head. Somehow or another, that reminded him of the letter. He reached into his pocket and drew it out, carefully tearing open the top. The paper smelled strange. Not in a bad way, but it had a sort of tropical scent to it.

"Eh? What's that, Luigi?" Gadd asked, "Let me see the envelope."

"Parakarry gave it to me when I was at the cabin. He said that 'it didn't matter which brother got it,' so… he gave it to me." Luigi trailed off as he carefully read the untidy scrawl scribbled across the old paper. Luigi's face slowly lit up.

"Well, aren't you gonna tell us what it is?" Gadd asked. The front of the envelope had been addressed to the Mario brothers, and the return address was located somewhere in the South Sea.

"It's a call for help, basically. The person who wrote it isn't very literate," he said, handing the letter to Kalliel.

Luigi sat while Kalliel glanced over the note and thought. Finally, he turned to the young man with a smile. "This is perfect. An opportunity to look for our missing weapon and… a chance to have an adventure of your own, Luigi." Kalliel said.

"Well, I like that outlook on it… which Island?"

Gadd turned the envelope over and raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Isla Tortuga…That's the island South-East of Isle Delfino, isn't it? I think there's a yoshi reservation there."

Kalliel looked up. "I have a strong feeling that this may be the only island we'll need to go to."

Luigi nodded. "When do you guys want to leave? Who knows, this might even be fun."

"We can leave whenever you want, but… it will not be a pleasure cruise."

"I know," Luigi retorted, "but the sooner I can get out of the house and actually do something, the better."

"Can we come too?" Hammer asked eagerly.

Luigi rubbed his head, "not this time guys. It's really dangerous and I don't want to lose my teammates." The brothers looked dejected only for a moment before giving him a thumbs up. "Besides, I need someone to help Shivers watch the house, right Shivers?"

"Oh…no…" he sighed as the Hammer Bros. faces lit up. "Of course, Master Luigi."

"Right then it's settled. If it's alright with you guys, we can leave sometime tomorrow," Luigi said, crossing his arms with a smirk.

Kalliel nodded, "I'm glad to see that you're so eager. With that kind of attitude, you won't have any trouble with the upcoming trials."

"Well, just to save time, we'd better get packing, ya'll," the professor said after finishing his coffee.

"We'll help!" Breaker and Hammer said, hopping up and dashing off to the laundry room before anyone could object. Luigi heaved a slight sigh as he stood up and checked the table for any cracks.

"Ah, Shivers, where's my suitcase?" Gadd asked as he slid from his chair and stretched his limbs.

* * *

On a different plane of latitude, night was falling upon the closely grouped archipelago that made up Isla Tortuga. Atop a large rocky outcrop on the Head-Island, a raptor-like yoshi gazed out over the evening-washed sea. In one clawed-hand it gripped a sharp spear, adorned with feathers.

The dark-blue yoshi turned its calm gaze back to the sea as it listened to the mewing of the gulls. A light breeze ruffled the feathers tied into the red, hair-like mane following down his spine. He slightly and gently spread two snowy-white, feathered wings, catching the cool breeze beneath them. A noise came from behind and the raptor-like yoshi snapped into an aggressive snarl.

"Dere ees no need to worry ya'self, boy," an aging yoshi said from behind him; the chief. The younger, blue dinosaur lowered his spear out of respect for his leader. The deep-green dinosaur took his place next the other and looked down to it. "Aye, sah!" The smaller Yoshi replied.

"Pyewacket, we are alone… you don't 'ave to be so formal, child," He spoke softly through his strong Jamaican accent.

The blue yoshi nodded, "Yessa, father…" He was silent next to his leader's great frame. To the larger dinosaur, Pyewacket was not even half his size, and yet he was already the size of a full grown 'normal' yoshi. He flapped his wings irritably.

The chieftain sensed his son's uneasiness. "Now, what's got yer featahs in a ruffle, hm?" He quieried, sending a smirk down to his son. Pyewacket clawed at the ground with a large black talon, "Izza not fair to Pyewacket! Izza yoshi prince… no… Pyewacket bound to eyewatch until darktime!" He paused while his father interpreted the speech so common to his tribes inhabitants. He was right though, instead of learning proper speech, intricate diplomatic systems and the basics of ruling, he was stuck on part of the tribe's watchmen.

"Metinks de prince be mighty jealous," he chuckled as his son let out a low growl. During the day around the others, Pyewacket was restricted to acting as distant from his father as possible, such were the tribal ways; a young prince must know his place. "Don't ye be worryin' lad, bein' on de watch builds de charactah for a propah rulah. Ye need not worry. I sense great tings will befall you before long, aftah all; a good chieftain needs to protect 'is people." he stopped to run a clawed hand through his son's hair. "Us winged yoshis always 'ave great destinies! Give it time, child. Ye must 'ave patience."

At this, Pyewacket perked up a bit. "Yousa tink dat Pyewacket learna alla wormsign, too?"

Again, the chieftain ruffled the boy's hair. "Mm, yes, ye'll learn to read, and much more. Remembah de legends. De stars favor de blue yoshis; you'll get your chance." He sniffed the air. After a short time, Pyewacket copied his sire.

"Gah… Something's coming…" The chieftain smiled, "may be your destiny." He nuzzled his son one last time before spreading his feathery wings and leaving the ground with a large flap. "Now, farewell Pyewacket and remember, nothing ill befalls a village with a good watchman!" He disappeared down the side of the cliff, leaving the young yoshi to his jumbled thoughts. He could sense something good was coming, and yet at the same time, something wicked was fast approaching.

* * *

Several hours later, Luigi drug his suitcase down to the living room where Gadd was sitting with his case on the sofa. The professor had his feet propped upon an Ottoman and was eyeing him with amusement.

"well, well, what took you so long, sonny?"

Luigi jerked his thumb back towards Breaker and Hammer, "My happy little helpers." The twins shot a beaming grin at the old man before disappearing. "And with that… I think we're all set."

Gadd nodded, "Whew, man I never realized packing could be so much hard work."

Luigi eyed his suitcase, "Well, what the heck did you pack, half of your lab?"

"well, I guess you could say that," the professor said with a smirk. Luigi sighed and decided not to press the matter. At that moment, Shivers appeared around the corner holding the cordless phone, "Sirs, I have informed Princess Peach of our departure, as per your orders."

Luigi cocked an eyebrow, "hmm? What for?" He asked, casting a wary eye over to the professor.

"Uh, to provide us with transport to the docks and give us papers for leaving the kingdom, duh?" Gadd retorted.

Shivers nodded, "yes, sir. They'll be here tomorrow morning at 6 a.m. They have already prepared a boat to drop you off at Rougeport."

"Rougeport? That's no good, we need to get to Isla Tortuga!" Luigi exclaimed.

Shivers was silent for a moment, "The ferry wont run all the way out there. The longest trip it makes is out to Rougeport."

Luigi sighed. That was wonderful… now they needed to find someone willing to take them the rest of the way to the island. He sighed once more before speaking, "Fine… Where are the boys, by the way?"

"They've already left," Gadd said, flipping idly through a book.

Shivers looked pensive. "Even though they will probably continue to pester me to the gates of the stars, they are good kids."

"See? I knew you had a soft spot for them…" Luigi said with a confident smirk.

"They're not bad, they're just… annoying … at times. They are a huge amount of help and, even though I try to offer them pay for their services rendered, all they request is the lint from the dryer, which I am more than happy to provide." Shivers shrugged modestly.

Luigi smiled and walked upstairs. "Let me get one thing before we leave tomorrow."

"Alright, we won't go nowhere," Gadd said, sticking his nose back in his book.

Once upstairs, Luigi turned down one corridor and opened the door into a dark room. Groping around for the light switch, he looked around as the soft yellow light from the lamps filled the room. There wasn't much there, just a few old chairs and a couple sheet-covered wardrobes. He lifted the drape off of one of them and reached inside, pulling out a spare Gameboy Horror. Walking to a corner, he lifted the sheet, exposing a mouse hole. Aiming the cursor at it, he pushed the button, causing a stream of fog to billow out. Luigi cautiously stepped into it ad folded his arms against his chest, wincing as he spiraled into the hole.

The tumbled into a dimly lit room lined with velvet-covered chests of all sizes. Grabbing a small leather pouch he selected three chests and opened them. He scooped an amount of gold coins into the pouch, then, grabbing another small pouch, selected a few glittering gemstones from the large chest, not forgetting a diamond the size of a large walnut. With the two pouches in hand, he left the way he came and went back down to the living room.

Gadd eyed him as he slipped the bags into his suitcase; it was a good thing he remembered to grab some money. They were going to need it if they were going to convince anyone in Rougeport to ferry them to Isla Tortuga.

After slipping the money into a safe place Luigi sighed, "I think it's best if we all get to bed early. We've got a big day tomorrow."

Gadd nodded then yawned as he climbed out of his chair.

"Righto then, I'll see you all at the crack of dawn," he disappeared down the stairs to his lab. Luigi nodded, "indeed."

He felt excited, and yet at the same time, a feeling of dread was creeping up to him. Usually those feelings never lied. Just what was he getting himself into?


	10. Of Swordplay and Stowaways

A/N: Thank you all for being patient, I know it's been a while, so I made this one extra long.

* * *

**Chapter 10: Of Sparring and Stowaways**

"Aw, don't worry Luigi; I'm sure Rougeport won't be as bad this time," Peach said as Toadsworth drove the five of them to the harbor.

"Yeah, besides, from what I've been hearing, your popularity totally obscures Mario's," Daisy said, trying to cheer him up. Luigi gave a small grunt as he leaned back in the seat, watching the dark countryside whip by outside of the car's windows.

"Still, it's not at the top of my list of places to visit," he told them. Gadd sighed as he stretched and put his arms behind his head. "I am curious though, why won't the ferryman take us to Isla Tortuga?"

Peach thought for a moment. "Well, it is outside of the kingdom's borders and… well, he didn't give me a direct answer. Don't worry Luigi; I'm sure you'll be able to get the answers out of him." The rest of the trip was silent. Luigi played with the thought of questioning Mario's sudden adventuring as they pulled into the parking lot at the wharf.

By now, the sun formed a blood-red disk in the early morning sky, bathing the scenery a crimson color. Luigi heaved his bags out of the trunk of the royal coach and placed them on a trolley along with the professor's. Walking alongside of the princesses, he patiently waited until Toadsworth was finished giving his speech of caution to him.

"Um, Peach… If you don't mind me asking… did you know about Mario running off?" Luigi asked quietly. Peach was silent for a moment before they got to the check-in. "Luigi…I-" she started.

Luigi cocked an eyebrow, "Well?" Peach sighed, and then nodded. "He said he needed some time alone, that's why he didn't want to tell you."

"What for?" Luigi said, slightly irritated. Peach sighed and shrugged. "I don't know…"

Daisy, who by now was looking slightly cross, broke the conversation up. "Alright, this is killing me, you two!" Luigi and Peach looked at her in a very confused way. "Stop dwelling on it! So what if Mario was a jerk?! Knowing Mario, whatever it is will work itself out in a few days. We can't afford losing sleep over something stupid like this. And Luigi, stop worrying about it," She said, her tone becoming softer. "You've got a big adventure for yourself starting right here. Don't worry about your stupid brother."

Luigi grinned, suddenly lighthearted. He was shocked at her sudden outburst, but she was right. He smiled warmly, receiving a forceful hug from his loveable girlfriend, "Thanks Dais," he said, squeezing her back. She pulled away, lightly punching him on the arm. "Kick some butt while you're out there!"

"I will."

"Hey Luigi! Get your arse up here, we're about to shove off!!" Gadd yelled from the deck of the Rougeport-bound steamboat.

"Well, this is it," He smiled as he walked up the gangplank. As the boat left the dock with a shudder, Luigi waved back at the three on the dock.

"You better write!" Daisy hollered. Luigi beamed a smile, "I will." He finished waving to them as the professor settled back against the side-rail.

"I certainly hope you won't be sappy on the trip," the professor said, attempting to rile Luigi up; succeeding masterfully. Luigi wheeled about with a scowl, "of course not!" he snapped.

"Heh, I'm just kidding, sonny." Gadd sighed as he stretched himself out. Luigi absently watched the waves spraying up from the bow for several long minutes before wandering off to find something to do.

"I suppose I could go talk to the captain, now that I have the chance," he mused, turning his gaze to the captain's deck.

The captain was a rather laid-back toad with orange spots on his cap. A Rougeport native, he had been the one who had ferried both the princess and Mario when they had gone to Rougeport to investigate the Thousand-year door.

"Ah, top o' the mornin' to ya' Luigi," he greeted in his heavily-accented voice as the young man approached the helm of the steamship. He returned the greeting before casually staring out over the passing waves.

"Captain," he finally said after a long silence, "Just out of curiosity, why is it that the ferry won't run directly out to Isla Tortuga and Isle Delfino?"

The aging toad smiled to himself, keeping his eyes glued to the sea in front of him. "Th' biggest issue be the distance, lad. I would gladly take you out there in a heartbeat, but, this ship couldn't go tha' far. Like me, it be no spring chicken, mind you." He paused for a moment. "The other reason… is that recently the island has had some… misfortunes befall it. Aye, the winds o' change brought something foul there, from what I've been hearing in the taverns. Don't you worry, though. I've already taken the liberty o' sending word of your arrival to Rougeport. I'm sure tha' you won't have any problem findin' some crazy sailor to take you out to that rock," He added with a grin.

Luigi, shaken by what he just heard, gave a weak laugh before heading back towards the deck. "Nice… I get to go on my own adventure and it ends up being a cursed island." He gave a shaky sigh. "By the way, is there anything I can do to help out around here?"

The toad captain scratched his chin. "No, not that I can think of, me boy. But don't worry, if I think of something I'll let you know."

Luigi nodded before making his way back out to the deck where Gadd was sunning him self and Maverick was taking a snooze.

"If you're bored, Luigi, I might know of something to do that would indeed be to your benefit," came Kalliel's voice from behind, startling him.

"Don't do that," Luigi said eyes wide as he whipped around. Kalliel gave a smirk. "I was merely asking you if you would like to spar, if we're going to find the sword, you might as well learn how to wield one," he said. Obviously he was back in his comfort zone, with his armor and surcoat back on.

Luigi smiled and nodded, "A capital proposal." He was about to head for his suitcase when he realized something, "Ah! Oh God, I left the key at the house!!"

"No, you didn't," Kalliel said, pulling it, scabbard and all from his belt. Luigi took a shaky breath and took it. It wasn't even noon yet and already there was too much excitement. "What are you going to fight with?" He asked the ghostly knight.

"I found this in the storeroom, it's dulled beyond practical use, but it will suffice for me." He pulled out an old cutlass that was slightly longer than the dagger in Luigi's hand and they squared off.

"Do you have any experience?" Kalliel asked casually.

Luigi shrugged, "Gadd and Shivers have been teaching me and I've been picking up pointers here and there, but I'm not an accomplished swordsman," he said, drawing the silver blade from its casing. It was about a foot and a half to two feet long, including the hilt, making it relatively easy to wield. "Remember, go easy on me, I'm not that good," Luigi added, taking his position.

"You won't have to worry, I haven't picked up a sword in 1500 years, I do believe that I will be a little rusty myself, don't you think?" Kalliel returned. Seeing that they were ready to begin, Kalliel raised his sword up. "On three… one, two, three!"

The pair threw themselves at each other with a loud CLANG that cut through the whir of the motors. Maverick woke up with a squeak, barreling into Gadd's lap as another metallic CLANG sounded. The professor watched the combatants in silent amusement as the little boo settled into his lap.

Luigi brought his blade up just as Kalliel made a downward sweep. The force of the blow jarred his arm, but he managed to block it. "Luigi!" Kalliel called as Luigi made a feign for his shoulder before jabbing towards his stomach, "Parry with the flat of the blade!"

"What?" Luigi asked, lowering his blade. "Gyaaah!" He yelled as he was sent rolling across the deck. Kalliel had performed a horizontal swipe across his chest, knocking the wind out of him. "Ugh…ow… Hey, what was that for?!"

"You let your guard down, thank the stars this cutlass was super dull."

Luigi looked up at him sourly before getting to his feet and charging at Kalliel. He lunged before whipping his arm back and slashing diagonally. The edge of the key connected with the flat of Kalliel's cutlass, sending several sparks flying. Kalliel grunted with the effort of blocking that swipe, "impressive."

Luigi smirked, anticipating what his opponent was going to do next. His anticipation paid off, Kalliel once more tried a horizontal swipe, missing by inches as Luigi performed a lofty back flip, nimbly landing on the railing ten feet away.

"Very good, you learned from your mistakes. It's good to know you catch on quickly," Kalliel wiped some sweat off of his brow. "And I seem to notice you have good observation skills. Have you mastered any kinds of Martial Arts?"

"Twelve kinds," Luigi replied.

"That's why you have excellent reflexes… now how good of a grasp do you have on your current situation? A good warrior must always be aware of his surroundings. Now, I'm going to present you with a situation and you show me how you react.

On the other side of the deck, Professor Gadd smiled, his glasses glinting in the strong sunlight as he watched the two combatants.

_Be careful Kalliel, you cannot outsmart that boy._

_We shall see,_ Kalliel telepathically replied.

Luigi perched perfectly on the railing, showing no signs of overbalancing; Kalliel standing with the worn cutlass at his side, eyeing Luigi's every movement.

"Notice your position; you are currently perched upon a thin rail with the sea at your back and me in front of you. Jumping into the air would be out of the question, I could easily get under you and over power you. Now… what do you do?" Kalliel said.

Luigi sat silent for a few moments; he knew attacking directly would be out of the question. He wiped the sweat off of his brow. He had his solution. Luigi carefully stood up and launched himself up into the air. Kalliel raised his sword across his face, expecting Luigi to indeed attack him with his weapon. Right before he got too close, though, Luigi twisted his body and threw himself to the side and out of the way, releasing a bright green fireball as he did so.

"Agh! Damn!" Kalliel exclaimed as he raised the blade in front of his face before the ball of flame connected. It glanced off of the steel and rocketed skyward. Luigi landed with his back turned and whipped around a second too late. "Too Late!!" Kalliel exclaimed as the flat of the blade hit Luigi in the face, flooring him.

"You're certainly giving me a run for my money," Kalliel panted. "You don't have a problem with defending and evading, but attacking still needs plenty of attention. You're too tense. It's probably spilling over from your personality, but something I notice about you." He paused, looking down at the young man. Luigi had a large red mark across his cheek plus small nicks and scrapes from everything else.

"I notice that you can only take a certain amount before you click. It's like transforming into another person."

"What do you mean by that?" Luigi asked curiously.

"You started out nervous and panicky, but after that first time I struck you in the stomach, you changed. I gave you the scenario to work out and you handled it without a problem. You _are_ a strategic genius, you just need to assert yourself more," Kalliel said, giving reassurance.

"You're going easy on me aren't you?" Luigi asked flatly.

Kalliel nodded after several moments. "Yeah… If I were to go all out on you, you wouldn't be alive right now."

Luigi felt miffed at the fact that he was toying with him. His leg suddenly swung out, catching Kalliel off guard and knocking him to the ground. He rolled out of the way and stood up, laughing, "Looks like I let my guard down."

The next hour was spent rather painfully for Luigi. Each time he charged, he managed to parry several blows, but always ended up getting slashed, stabbed, or thrown to the ground. Finally, Kalliel took one final swipe at Luigi, who gave one mighty swing in a last-ditch effort to continue. A resounding SNAP sounded as the key-blade sliced through the old cutlass, rendering it in two. With his other arm, Kalliel slammed his elbow into Luigi, knocking him back against the railing. "Enough!!" he called, casting away the broken remains of his sword.

Luigi tried to raise himself back off of the ground. He could barely do that, so he settled for flipping himself onto his back.

He laid there panting steadily as Kalliel knelt beside him. "That was impressive for your first time with me," he smirked. "And I think I've found your problem. Well… the two major problems. One; you attack with accuracy, but you lack the fluidity and grace to link your attacks into a continuous chain. Two; you don't know a whole lot about counter-attacking. Do not worry, for really it is still too soon to worry about actually training. But experience and precision will come with time and practice."

Luigi nodded, closing his eyes as he tried fighting off the impending exhaustion. He wiped some blood from his split lip and coughed a few times. "I'm so tired."

"I think you went too hard on him," Gadd chuckled, approaching them from behind.

Maverick whizzed around in circles making "Psh, Psh, Clink," noises, trying to reenact the fight that had lasted for nearly three hours.

"Luigi, me boy!" called the captain from the upper deck, "Wanna help me scrub the decks?" He asked with a devilish grin.

Luigi scoffed, "Urggh…." He groaned, letting his head fall back onto the deck. The captain laughed heartily. "I'm just joking, lad. Hey, Why don't the lot o' you go on down to the galley and scrounge you up something to eat. That was quite an amusing fight there." He turned back to the helm.

"Wonderful idea," Gadd said, helping Luigi to his feet. His overalls and shirt were torn in numerous places and the skin beneath the rips was raw. At least his hat was in tact. Heading down the steps to the galley, Luigi turned to Kalliel, "You're rusty my ass."

"Okay, okay, so I lied," Kalliel chuckled.

After filling their stomachs with food, they headed to their sleeping quarters, which weren't any more than hammocks with a pillow and a few blankets apiece. Still, Luigi didn't care, nor did he bother to change out of his old clothes. He fell into the nearest one, hung his hat up, and wrapped himself into the blankets before falling asleep. Maverick nosed his way under his arm and quickly fell asleep as well.

"Well, I think it's time we hit the hay as well," Gadd said to Kalliel.

"Yes. We've got a long day tomorrow. We reach Rougeport shortly before lunch time. Good-night, professor."

* * *

Luigi woke up late the next morning. Kalliel and the professor, as well as Maverick had all gone on the upper deck. Luigi was sore, plain and simple. Every movement he made hurt. Clenching his teeth, he climbed out of his hammock and made his way over to his suitcase to change. Before he placed his hand upon the lock, a rustle inside made him freeze.

He quickly backtracked to his hammock and found the key lying next to his bed. He picked it up and drew it, keeping it poised while slowly undoing the first lock. The bag rustled again. He swallowed a yelp before he paused waiting for the movement to subside. He drew the blade back, ready to strike as he undid the final clasp.

"Aaagh!!" He yelled in somewhat of a panicky battle cry as the large case flipped open, sending three familiar figures tumbling out. Breaker and Hammer yelped and retreated into their shells. Marius, bound and gagged, flinched as he saw Luigi with the weapon in his hand.

"What the hell?!" Luigi exclaimed, dropping his arm in surprise.

"I told you he'd find us, numbskull!" Hammer scolded his brother, slowly emerging from his shell. Breaker did the same, ignoring the comment, "Hey Luigi!" Marius grew angry with his counterparts' antics and began struggling against the bindings that tied up his wrists and ankles, mumbling something incoherent through his gag.

Luigi knelt and sliced off the ropes and cloth gag. Marius coughed several times before standing, massaging his wrists. "So help me, Eldestar, if you ever do that to me again, I swear I will kill you both!" he snarled.

"What are you all doing here?" Luigi asked, his voice becoming level and dangerous.

"Pardon my French, but there was no way in Darkland that we were going to let you go on this alone!" Breaker scolded angrily, shaking his finger and glaring at Luigi. "Marius was being a butt, so we brought him by force."

"Breaker's actually right," Hammer said. "You're our Captain, and there's no way we're going to let you get killed."

Luigi sighed, his anger forgotten. "Fine… I'll let you come with me to Isla Tortuga. But you have to promise me you'll behave and not go looking for trouble, or there'll _be_ trouble. Besides, I _am_ still disappointed that you disobeyed me."

Marius stood with his arms akimbo and Breaker and Hammer swore upon their very lives to not cause any problems. After his speech, Luigi's face softened and he spoke with a calmer tone. "Well, how long have you guys been in there?"

"Since you left the house," Marius sighed, rubbing his head. Luigi sighed as he looked over to his suitcase before he realized something. "Where are all my clothes?"

"We threw a bunch of them out back in your room," Breaker said with a goofy grin, receiving rolled eyes from Luigi.

"Please, Dear God… tell me you didn't throw out the leather pouches in there…" Luigi added.

"Keep your shirt on… or, what's left of it," Breaker said calmly. "They're still there. We're not stupid enough to throw out the money bags." He then pulled something out of his shell. "Here. I kind of thought you might need these, so I didn't leave them at the house when we got in. That was a big suitcase." He handed Luigi a green shirt and a clean pair of overalls.

Luigi couldn't help but smile. Even Marius lightened up enough to walk behind the boys and put his hands on their shoulders. "To be honest, guys. I'm really happy that you're here. I've been kind of nervous. I… actually might be needing your help," Luigi said.

Breaker leapt up and hugged Luigi, "'Course! 'cuz we're loveable!"

Hammer added in to the conversation, "Yeah, we'll do our best to help you out."

Marius added one final comment, "I promise we won't let you down."

"Thanks guys," Luigi said. "Now go get something to eat. We should be at Rougeport in a couple minutes."

The three nodded, even bringing the same childish, eager spark to Marius's eyes. He was just as hungry as the other two and eagerly followed them to the galley. Luigi quickly changed into his clean clothes, throwing the others into a large waste-basket in the corner. He left his gloves off, but rolled up his sleeves and grabbed his hat before going up onto the deck.

"Hey, I saw the boys, what're they doing here?" Gadd asked curiously.

"I'll explain later."

"Rougeport, ho!!" The Captain of the steamship called. Luigi, Kalliel and Gadd all hung over the edge, getting a faint glimpse of a port-city in the distance.

"Alrighty, let's get our things together," Gadd said, ushering them below deck. He poked his head into the galley, "Hey boys, come on, we're here." After a few minutes, they pulled into the port and disembarked, waving goodbye to the captain after they set foot on the creosote-coated dock.

"Give Peach and Daisy my regards," Luigi called.

"Will do, laddy! He called as he headed back for the mushroom kingdom.

"Wow, so this is Rougeport…" Marius wondered, looking around at the piles of crates stacked high between docks and the shady-looking sailors of several different species running about. The air carried a dirty, salty smell. Several Sailors gave them looks before mulling about their own business amongst the brine covered port. Kalliel cast his eye over the shady residents before disappearing into thin air. Maverick stayed close to Luigi.

"Come on, I know a place where we can stay," Luigi said, making his way over to the large flight of stone steps leading up to the plaza.

"Keep a low profile while you are here, guys. You don't want to get mixed up in any trouble around here," Luigi muttered.

"I heard you're real popular in this region, Luigi," Gadd said, following him. Luigi nodded. "Yeah, I had an adventure in the Waffle kingdom. Not my best experience mind you, but still…"

Once they reached the plaza, they made their way past the gallows to the front of the inn and tavern, catching the eye of many villagers. Many gave them small smiles and some even shook Luigi's hand, but there were a few who were content to glare at them. "Nice people," Gadd said with a scoff, referring to the ones that had shot them icy glares.

Marius caught a green-coated bandit eyeing them from the shadows. He growled at him with a glaring sneer.

"Marius… Marius, just ignore him," Luigi said, trying to calm him down. The bandit disappeared amongst several crates into the east side. Marius frowned.

The small party wandered into the tavern over to the bar where the strange beanbean man, Podley, was trying to clean several grimy glasses. "Well, by the powers," Podley exclaimed upon seeing Luigi walk into the bar, "If it isn't the great Luigi, how have you been my boy?" He warmly shook Luigi's hand and adjusted his thick glasses.

"My God, what happened to you? Covered in bruises…"

"Sparring practice," Luigi muttered.

"Ah, I see. Well, what can I do for you all?" He asked, returning to cleaning the empty glasses.

"We need lodging, at least for a few days," Luigi replied, pulling several coins from one of the pouches. Podley shook his head, "Nah, I don't need it. You're the superstar around here. I'm honored that you would even grace my tavern with your presence."

"I insist. And if you won't accept it as pay, then accept it as thanks for helping out my brother."

Podley chuckled. "I've been hearing rumors amongst the patrons that you were looking for a boat to Isla Tortuga. Well, it's a shame you didn't come in here a few hours ago. The bar was packed with people I know who would give you a ride."

"Word travels that fast?" Marius questioned.

Podley adjusted his glasses again. "Aye, that it does." He looked up at them after putting away the last glass. "Well, since the bar's not getting any customers now, I'll go help you boys get settled in, wot?" He looked around at the one or two people that sat at the remote tables in the bar before taking the group upstairs. He led them to a large room lined with several beds. A young toad girl with orange spots and long brown pigtails was busy folding the last comforter.

"Alicia dear, you can go ahead and leave early if you'd like," Podley said to the girl.

"Oh, thank you, Mister Podley," she curtsied politely before heading for the exit.

"Tell your mother I said hello," he added, receiving a fain't "I will," from down stairs.

"Well, here you are, it's not much, but it's cozy," Podley said, handing the room key to Luigi. "Just holler if you need anything, I need to go get ready for the dinner rush." He headed back downstairs as the group chose beds. After watching Breaker and Hammer duke it out for the bed near the window, they all decided to head out and explore the town. "Say, Marius," Luigi started as he locked the room and headed down the stairs. "What was the deal back there with the bandit?"

Marius waited until they were outside. "…" He jammed his hands into his pockets. "It's nothing… I just… really, _really_ don't like them. They give me the creeps."

Luigi looked at Breaker and Hammer who both shrugged. He decided to drop the conversation. Right now, he needed to worry about buying some new clothes for later.


	11. The Secret of Marius

**Chapter 11: The Secret of Marius**

"I honestly cannot believe that none of these stores sells one pair of overalls, ah well. At least they had jeans and button-ups," Luigi said, shifting the parcel of clothing under his arm. "Just give me a minute to go put these up then we can go get a look at the rest of the town."

"Mmkay!" Breaker and Hammer said, giving him a thumbs-up. Marius sauntered over to a couple of empty crates in the shade of a large building and leaned against them. "Oy… it got hot really quickly." He finally decided to remove his green hoodie and wrapped it about his waist as he waited for Luigi to come back.

"Indeed," Gadd said, taking a seat on the crates next to Marius. Hammer looked around for a minute after wiping a few beads of sweat from his brow, "Where's Kalliel?"

Breaker shrugged as Gadd proclaimed, "Eh, he's around here somewhere."

Marius' eyes drooped a bit. The combination of the heat of the port and the exhaustion of being cramped up in the suitcase was beginning to take their toll on him. He almost fell asleep when a green blur dashed out from behind the crates straight for Breaker. Marius' eyes shot open, "Breaker, watch out!" But he was too late. The green-robed bandit from earlier delivered a swift punch to Breaker's jaw, grabbed his coin purse and made a mad dash for the cover of the east side.

Breaker fell onto his back, "Wah! Hey, no!!" He struggled to get off of his shell. Hammer helped him up, "Where's Marius?"

* * *

Marius had already leapt off of the crates the instant the thief hit Breaker and was hot on his heels. Thinking that he was in the clear, the bandit checked over his shoulder, only to emit a yelp as he saw Marius right behind him. "Damn, you're persistent!" He sneered.

Marius only growled and made the wild gambit of taking a dive at him. Marius managed to get his arms around his waist before the two of them crashed to the cobble-stone pavement. Marius seethed as he barked his shins on the rough ground. The thief nimbly slipped out of his grasp and double-kicked him into the wall. Marius slipped to the ground, watching as the bandit tried to scurry away. Marius adjusted his helmet and slowly stood up, drawing out a hammer from a pocket on his hoodie.

He twirled it expertly, "Don't let me down." He gripped the black, carved handle, casting a glance over the polished white marble head, inlaid with intricate craftsmanship before taking off at a run. He leapt into the air and, setting his sights on the fleeing bandit, drew his arm back and released the weapon.

"Gotcha!" He called as the hammer connected with the back of the bandit's head, laying him flat on the ground. He flipped and landed heavily on his feet, almost losing his balance. He drew a second hammer from his hoodie and caught the other one as it bounced off of the wall back to his hand. "Ugh…ow…." The bandit groaned, looking up at Marius.

"I believe you have something that belongs to a friend of mine," Marius said, clearing his throat. They sat for a few moments in silence, panting heavily as a few onlookers watched intently.

"I ain't got nuthin'," The bandit spat. Marius brandished his hammers with a growl. Rubbing his head, the bandit flinched before removing the small brown pouch from the folds of his robe. He tossed it at the lone hammer bro's feet before taking off, in a hurry to get out of the sight of so many people.

Marius sighed as he picked it up.

"Marius!!" came several cries from behind him. Luigi, Breaker, Hammer and Professor Gadd all came jogging towards him, looks of astonishment plastered on their faces.

"Here," Marius sighed, handing Breaker his coin bag back. "Thanks man… that was so friggin' awesome!"

"Yeah, I've never seen you do that… well… outside of the soccer pitch before," Hammer agreed. Luigi nodded.

"It was nothing," he said bashfully. Breaker looked at the hammers in his hands. "Oooh… pretty." Marius smiled before twirling them and sticking them back into the pockets of his sweatshirt.

"Where'd you get those, by the way?" Luigi asked as they headed back towards the plaza. Marius shrugged. "I'm not sure... I've had these since I was twelve."

"How old are ya' now?" Gadd queried.

"Twenty-four."

"Ah..." Gadd looked at him again. "You don't look it... you do have a nice fighting style though." Marius gave him a smirk, "Well… I don't have much to lose," he stated quietly. "So I've gotta protect what I've got."

The group was silent for a minute. Marius yawned. "I'm going back to the room. I'll keep an eye out for anyone who might be interested in ferrying us to Isla Tortuga."

Luigi handed him the key. "Hey Marius," Breaker started, "You want me to getcha something while we're out?"

Marius thought for a moment. "Sure, how about a couple honey mushrooms? I know Zess T. makes some great ones." Breaker nodded, "you got it!"

Marius disappeared into the tavern, which was now beginning to fill with people.

"I get the feeling that he's hiding something from us," Luigi said, clearly suspicious.

"…Well, I'm sure he has his reasons," Gadd said. "Come on, let's go finish looking around." Luigi hesitated. "What's wrong sonny? Ain't you comin'?"

"You guys go on ahead…" he trailed off, making his way towards Podley's tavern. Gadd looked at the boys and shrugged.

Luigi entered the tavern, looking around for Marius through the shadowy, smoky room. It was true, there certainly were more patrons, though not enough to make the room noisy. Luigi scanner the barroom, finally spotting Marius seated at an out-of-the-way table.

"Hey, Luigi, what can I do for you?" Podley asked warmly, trying to clean his glasses with the grimy cleaning cloth. Luigi smiled, "I just need a drink." Podley nodded, taking out a large, relatively-clean mug.

"What'll you have?"

Luigi thought for a moment. Though he didn't drink very much, he figured one right now wouldn't hurt. "What kind of Rum do you have?" He questioned, knowing that was the only type of liquor Podley had readily available. Podley waddled over to a large barrel in the corner and filled the mug with a ruddy-amber liquid. "I'll give you some of the better stuff. Oh, by the way," he trailed off as he slid the mug across the counter to Luigi, "I've gotten word that Flavio will be pulling into port the day after tomorrow. I have no doubt that he'll give you a lift… considering the fact that you provide him with something shiny." He gave Luigi a wink, "If you catch my drift." Luigi nodded.

"Thanks," Luigi said, placing a few coins on the counter before walking off to sit with Marius.

"Hey, you," Luigi said with a smile, seating himself next to his friend. Marius looked up with a smile.

"Why'd you come in so early?" He asked Luigi. Luigi shrugged, "I got kind of bored. Y'know, there really isn't much to do in Rougeport if you aren't here to sightsee. Sadly, I don't think we are." They both exchanged a grin before taking sips out of their tankards. The rum had a strong, dry taste that kind of burned his mouth at first, but left a rather sweet after-taste.

Luigi coughed several times, shocked at the drink's potency. Marius thumped him on the back a few times. "It's good, just strong… hoo…" He thanked him. Marius looked at his mug, "What did you get?"

Luigi coughed again, "I… (Cough) don't know. Whatever his 'better stuff' was."

"Hey Luigi," Marius said, raising his right leg slightly, "Do you have the captain in you?" Luigi smirked before copying the action, "Yes, I have the captain in me," he stated in a mock matter-of-fact tone. That moment ended in an eruption of laughter from both friends as they continued their conversation. "Alright, here's the deal," Luigi said after taking another draught of the strong drink. "Podley said Flavio's pulling into port the day after tomorrow. That would mean if he were to agree to take us, we would leave this Friday. Does that sound like a good plan?"

"Sounds fine to me, I'm just ready to get out of here."

Luigi paused for a moment, "Marius… what was the deal back there? Why do you hate bandits so much, I mean, granted they annoy the hell out of me, but still."

"I honestly don't know…" Marius said. "I've had a really rough time trying to remember." Luigi stared at him intently. _Something's not right, _He thought.

"Something happened to me in the past… it's so hazy, though…I can't remember anything from my childhood."

_That's it!!!… Marius has Amnesia…that's what he's been hiding._ Luigi was silent, somewhat taken aback and speechless at the same time.

"You wanna talk about it?" Luigi asked calmly. Marius nodded. Maybe it would help to get his memories back. But… he hesitated at first. He had never shared any of this with anyone before… how would Luigi react? Marius took a small breath.

"You don't have to worry, I won't tell anyone," Luigi said. This gave Marius the reassurance he needed. He took a quick sip of his rum before starting.

"Well, as far back as I can remember…I've been on my own," he started in a low voice. "I don't remember who my mother or father were…I have… terrible amnesia… it hasn't gone away since… ah, I'm getting ahead of myself. It had to do with a bandit bashing me over the head… I remember fire, destruction. I was hit over the head by a bandit… then I blacked out."

"…" Luigi remained silent.

"I don't remember much of my hometown; other than it lies across the Northern plains somewhere… When I regained any sort of memory I was to the south of the grasslands. I don't know how I made it there. All I do know was that when I came around, I was covered in all sorts of scrapes, bruises, you name it." He folded his hands and closed his eyes in thought. He smiled slightly as he reached the next part. "I made it to Toad Town where I guess you could say… Breaker and Hammer found me. They were about nine or ten at the time. Heh, well, their mother decided to take me in I suppose and I grew up with them…" He trailed off as he reminisced over his past. He finally smiled and with a chuckle continued, "Their Dad disappeared a few years before I got there, died most likely. Their mom was glad to have another helping hand around the house, the boys were happy to have a new friend and I was just happy to find somewhere I could call home."

"I'm just curious… How did you end up playing on our team?" Luigi questioned.

Marius thought for a moment. "Long story… I went to Toad town for a reason. I had a driving force, you see. There was, and still is, a small voice in the back of my mind telling me 'find the new knight of Eidolon…'"

Luigi's eyes widened.

"I came to Toad town, thinking I would have the best chance of finding something there. I was hoping that if I found him or her… that I would get my memory back. That's all I really want right now. It's weird, y'know? You know your name, but you don't know _who_ you are." Marius turned his eyes to Luigi. "So I waited. Twelve years. The three of us entered the soccer league together. I had a feeling hanging around the Mario Brothers or the princesses would eventually lead me to the new knight. I didn't know anything. I was going purely by instinct. And… it looks like I hit the jackpot. I found ya."

He smiled at Luigi, receiving a warm pat on the shoulder. "Now the only problem is… that now that I've found you… what do I do?"

Luigi sat silent for a few moments. "You finish this round, of course," He said with a sly grin. "You know I wouldn't go anywhere without you Marius."

Marius nodded. The message he was left with only said to find the knight. It didn't say anything about the matter after he found him. He had made up his mind anyway. He would accompany his friend. "And you know darn well that I said that I wouldn't let you down."

"So it's settled."

Marius grinned. "We leave for Isla Tortuga."

Luigi nodded. "I promise I'll find some way to restore your memory. And you do know that you will have to explain those hammers to me sometime."

Marius chuckled before looking at the two tankards in front of them. "I dare you to finish yours in one gulp." He gave Luigi an evil grin.

"Same to you, spanky." Luigi retorted, raising his mug. The two friends finished the large amount of liquid and slammed their empty tankards down on the table, proceeding to spend the next five or so minutes coughing and gasping for breath. Marius wiped away a few tears from his eyes. "Hoo… man, remind me (hic) never to down rum like that again…"

Luigi rubbed his head, "Yeah… let's just hope we're not hung-over in the morning. One pint isn't much but… that stuff was strong." The two friends giggled as Luigi took the empty tankards back up to the bar where he handed them to Podley.

"I hope you didn't drug that." Luigi said, a smirk forming on his lips. Podley chuckled, "no, you just drank too fast."

* * *

The next day was spent rather lazily. Gadd and Luigi spent most of the day taking inventory twice, even three times just to make sure they didn't go short on rations in the middle of their voyage. Breaker and Hammer practiced their passing and kicking in the square with a soccer ball they had purchased earlier. Marius spent his day sunning himself on top of some crates, always in the near vicinity of the twins to avoid any more instances.

The next day passed for them in the same way; relatively uneventful, until that evening. By the time evening rolled around, the bar was packed with a wave of sailors who had just pulled into port. Podley was right. Obviously he paid attention to the days when the merchants pulled in.

Upstairs, Luigi dressed himself in some of the newer clothes he bought a few days earlier. He wore a green button-down shirt that had a thick, blue stripe running horizontally across it, loose blue-jeans with a belt around his waist and his usual work boots.

He looked over to his companions who were mulling about the room doing various things. "You guys ready to go find Flavio?" He asked, calling to their attention.

"Aye, let's just get this over with…" Gadd said, stretching. "I'm not too impressed with his character based on past dealings I've had with him."

"Oh?" Luigi asked cocking an eyebrow. "You've sold something to him?" Gadd nodded, crossing his arms as they left the room. "Yeah… I conducted business with him on a new navigation system some years ago. I'll leave all the negotiating up to you." He finished, disappearing into the crowd.

Luigi sighed, noticing that he was alone. "Well, here we go…" He sighed, running a hand through his hair before slipping his cap back on and picking his way through the crowd. He finally found himself standing in front of a table at which sat a short, flamboyant man singing a strange tune to himself.

"Theee skull captain casts his gaze, theee red jewel, shines and plays. It's a boom-bassa-boom… Festivaaal!" His loud singing was rather off key, but Luigi knew his poems housed words of power; words that held secrets within their meanings.

Finally, after Luigi had had enough, he cleared his throat. Flavio immediately stopped his singing, a smirk growing across his face as he slowly opened his large black eyes, "Luigi." He said, offering his hand. Luigi shook it as he took a seat across from him.

"I've heard you're looking for an adventure," Flavio murmured calmly, peering at Luigi from under the brim of his red, tri-cornered hat. "An adventure… Excitement, Riches and…Romance!!" He emphasized the last word as he hopped up on top of the table. "Not in that order of course." He laughed heartily as he removed his hat and shook the purple locks of hair from his face.

"Of course I'd love to take you…" The young man paused, looking up at Luigi, "Funding for that kind of trip doesn't come easily. You would need supplies, provisions, wages…although I'm sure we can find something else to use other than money," the greedy young man scratched his chin as Luigi pulled one of the leather pouches out of his pocket, opened it and pulled out the walnut-sized diamond. Flavio's babbling ceased almost instantly as he gaped at the sparkling gem.

"Surely this is worth more than the red skull gem ever was…"

Luigi slightly rolled his eyes. _The way you guarded it, I thought I would never hear those words out of your mouth. _He thought silently. "So, would this be enough?"

Flavio flashed him a gleaming, toothy grin. "Of cour-" He was abruptly cut off as a corsair's cutlass slammed down into the table between them, causing Luigi to fall out of his chair with a panicked yelp. Flavio, startled by this sudden action, looked up the hilt to the wielder of the oppressive weapon.

"Luigi, I honestly think that you would not have a good time with this blowhard," the voice said. Catching his breath, Luigi clambered back into his seat and removed his hat. The wielder of the voice and of the sword was a woman with long black hair pulled back beneath a ruby-red bandana. Her clothing was rather exotic, something from Desert land perhaps, accenting her beautiful dark skin. She offered her hand. "I'm captain Syrup, leader of the Black-Sugar Pirates, you okay hon'?"

Luigi shook it and nodded as she gave him a warm smile before whipping around. "Flavio, you know damn well I wasn't going to let you out of my sight… Where'd you go? I've been on your tail for well over a month." She stopped as she jerked the sword from the table, revealing a deep gash in the woodwork, before putting the point to his Adam's apple. Flavio gulped, the slight stubble on his chin well reflected in the glittering surface. "Wh-What ever do you mean, my dear?"

Syrup sneered, gently pricking the skin of his throat. "I'll be takin' that crystal back, _love,_" she growled sarcastically, holding out her palm. Flavio reached a trembling hand into his pocket, pulling out a clear piece of quartz, "H-here," he said, offering it to her.

"No, not that one, imbecile… the black one."

Flavio hesitated, before reaching into his other pocket and pulling out a long, thin onyx-black crystal the size of a battery.

Luigi cringed as he heard a hiss from behind him. Kalliel revealed himself and in a flash, covered the crystal in Syrup's hand. "Put that away…" he seethed. The three were silent, staring at the ghostly man.

"Apologies, Kalliel…" Syrup mumbled respectfully, slipping the black crystal into her pocket with a look of silent surprise. She then turned to Luigi and Kalliel. "It's a wonder he didn't bring half of Darkland after him… crazy Bastard. As I was saying… He stole this from me several weeks ago, thinking it was part of some treasure of mine. I don't trust this man… you shouldn't either."

"One quick question… how do you know my name? I've never even heard of you," Luigi queried, studying her fine features.

"Who doesn't know who you are around these parts? The great hero of the Waffle Kingdom," She said, obviously amazed by his 'Accomplishments.' "I've heard talk you're looking for a ride out to Isla Tortuga." Her eyes flitted to the clear gem on the table, "I was headed out there anyway, would you like a lift?"

Luigi thought it over, "Yeah, anything you can do to help us out would be really appreciated." She smiled sweetly before turning disdainfully back to Flavio, "You're coming along too, until you can find some way to pay me back for that ship o' mine ye wrecked." Flavio heaved a grumbling sigh before nodding, "I am a man of my word," he said sourly.

"Good, then it appears we have an accord," the lady captain offered her hand, Luigi respectfully took it in his own and shook it. "Welcome to the crew, Fledgling knight."

"Eh?"

Syrup smiled, "Surprised? I'm a gypsy, my whole family was purely gypsy, we follow the teachings of Lazarus, of course we know about the Eidolon knights and their purpose. That's why I was working to get a hold of this shadow shard." She patted her pocket. "Our motives are the same. That's good, makes the voyage easier."

Luigi finally found his composure and cleared his throat, "I'll be happy to pay, if that diamond's gonna be enough." The hungry look returned to the female corsair's eyes. "Of course, I know fine jewels when I see them." She flashed a smile before turning. "Then it's settled, let's leave early tomorrow, if that's all right."

"The sooner the better," Kalliel stated.

"See you," She waved fondly, dragging Flavio out of the bar behind her. "Interesting woman…" Kalliel crossed his arms and put one hand to his chin with a smirk. "She possesses quite a bit of inhuman strength as you obviously could have seen by that sword she was carrying."

"Mmm-hmm…" Luigi murmured, still staring out the door.

"Luigi?" Kalliel asked, waving a hand in front of him.

"Mmm-hmm."

Kalliel stared for a moment. "Your pants are on fire."

"Mmm-hmm."

Kalliel heaved an exasperated sigh, "Oh boy…"

"Hmm…" Luigi said, coming back to his senses. "What?" he asked Kalliel, raising and eyebrow at his friend's look. Kalliel said nothing, but shook his head.

"Hey, Luigi…" Marius called, carrying Breaker on his back. "Numbskull here got a little tipsy, could you help me take him back to the room?"

"I Luv' joo guys…" Breaker slurred, grinning at his brother.

"Aren't you guys a little young to drink?" Gadd questioned skeptically. Hammer shook his head, "Nope, we're legal. We turned twenty-one this past July."

"Alrighty then…"

"So, Weege," Marius started, thinking over his next question, "are all systems go?"

"Yup, though our captain is different… have any of you all heard of the Black Sugar Pirates?" He asked with a devilish glint in his eye.


	12. Shadow Shards

**Chapter 12: Shadow Shard**

"Ready on that mooring line!" The bosun's call cut through the quiet morning air at the pier. Remnants of last night's fog still hung in tattered tendrils over the ship and between the numerous crates that loomed out of the shadows. Syrup's crewman loaded the last few boxes of provisions before moving to the rigging. Down on the dock, Luigi hung back for a second, chatting with Podley.

Finally, they said their goodbyes, accompanied with a few "Thanks for everything," from Luigi before Podley handed him a couple of letters. He took them gratefully, examining the return addresses. He carefully slid them into a pocket on his shirt before Captain Syrup's voice reached him.

"Hey come on, Luigi! We're shovin' off here!"

"Heh…Uwaaa!" Luigi exclaimed as he turned to see the ship starting to pull out. "Thanks Podley, see you around!" He said quickly, waving a hand over his head as he made a mad dash for the end of the pier. Podley slowly raised his hand in farewell, "May the wind be at your back, my boy!"

"Weegie!" Breaker yelled. Captain Syrup threw a line out to him as he ran along the old boardwalk. He made a flying leap off of the end of the dock, surprised at how fast this ship was, and seized the rope, swinging wide over the inky black sea. He gritted his teeth as he dipped lower, his feet skimming the surface of the early morning sea before throwing his weight into the air. The rope became taught as it allowed him to swing upward in an arc. Breaker hopped up and down in excitement as he watched his friend come crashing down onto the deck.

"Me next, Me next!!" He babbled, running over. Luigi picked himself up off of the deck and looked up to Captain Syrup, who was doubled over in good hearted laughter.

"What's so funny?" He asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

Her laughter ceased as she straightened up. "You should have seen your face… did you actually think we were going to run off without you?"

Luigi shifted uneasily, "well, at the rate you guys were pulling out… I'd say so…"

Syrup flashed him a sympathetic look for a moment before her expression changed to one of suspicion as the wind died. Now, Luigi had the chance to examine the ship. It was quite large and rather long; the design of the ships that frequent the desert ports. Funny, back on the dock, Luigi could have sworn it looked suited for decoration rather than practical use. He followed Syrup's gaze up to the large triangular sails, which were indeed hanging slack against their masts.

"Dammit… We haven't even gotten out of the bay…" Syrup fumed under her breath. "Bosun!"

The Bosun from earlier appeared at her side. He was shirtless, wearing faded blue silk sultan's pants and shoes. He declared in a gruff voice. "The wind's stopped! There's a demon of a storm headed this way… 'S probably the squall line."

The captain turned towards the East, her dark hair flipping around with her. "…Damn…"

Syrup gave her Bosun a soft smile. "This wasn't exactly the daring swashbuckler's exodus I had in mind…" She pulled a small golden lamp out of a pocket in her gypsy's pants. "Tell the men to get below deck." The Bosun gave a quick bow before turning on his heel to below his orders.

Marius, Breaker and Hammer stood next to Luigi, apprehensively watching as she rubbed the lamp gently. "Hold on to your hat," she murmured to Luigi. His hand instinctively flew up to his head.

By now, a thin purple mist was trailing out of the spout of the lamp, taking the shape of a large Genie. "I call upon thee, Aldjin!" The smoke finally solidified into a huge lavender-colored genie, his one plume of black hair pulled back with a hair tie, his eyes were the color of glowing coins and on the end of each finger, he sported a sharpened, black nail.

"Mistress Syrup," Aldjin said with a low bow. "What do you wish of me?" He said, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Behind Luigi, Hammer and Breaker were whispering excitedly to one another, "Wow bro, check it out; a real live genie."

"I know," Hammer replied. "Oh man, everyone back home will be so jealous."

Aldjin bowed to his master. "So shall it be said, so shall it be done." He once again turned into a cloud of smoke and enlarged himself to roughly half the size of the boat before floating behind the aft end.

"Now remember, just a little assistance… at least until we get out of the bay!" She called. A face appeared in the cloud and took a huge breath.

"Oh…my…God…" Luigi suddenly dove for the railing. Marius copied him while Breaker and Hammer gripped the end of a nearby rope. The genie let out his breath in one huge blast of air that sent the ship shooting off like a rocket.

"Grrr….aheh!" Luigi groaned, desperately trying to cling to the railing as the ship bucked with each wave it hit. Marius let out a cry as his hands slipped off of the worn wooden railing. Luigi reached out and caught him by the nape of his shell.

"Got it!" Luigi suddenly remembered an old trick he had learned in the beanbean kingdom. It had helped him stay attached to Mario, maybe it would work here. He focused energy into the palm of his hand and at once saw small blue sparks flash. He sighed as he relaxed his hand, finding that it stuck with relative ease to the rail.

Marius let out a sigh of relief too as they continued to careen across the bay. Luigi turned his head slightly to see where Breaker and Hammer were. To his relief, they were still attached to the rope they had, but they appeared to be having the time of their lives. Luigi chuckled and rolled his eyes.

For the duration of the ride, he kept his eyes shut. There wasn't much to see, the scenery was going by at a blur. Finally they began to slow down. Luigi and Marius fell to the deck with a flump. They lay there, panting heavily as Breaker and Hammer crashed to the deck with a simultaneous "Do it again, do it again!!"

"NO!" Marius and Luigi called as they laid their heads back down on the deck. "Thanks Luigi… I guess I owe you one."

"Ah. sorry about that." Syrup said, coming out from behind the mast. "Didn't mean for it to be that quick… I said we only needed a _little_ assistance," She scolded. Aldjin bowed with an apology before slinking back into the lamp. She brushed a few stray hairs from her face before looking to the triangular sails, which were now inflated normally with a strong breeze. Syrup extended a hand to Luigi, helping him up. "We needed to get out of the bay before the storm hit. Rougeport bay is worse than the open ocean when there's a storm."

Luigi nodded tiredly. Professor Gadd emerged from below deck holding a…very freaked out Maverick. With a squawk, he flew to Luigi's arms. "Hey little guy, you get scared?"

"Aww, who is this?" Syrup crooned, her tone changing from serious to Feminine. "Aren't you precious?" She cooed, taking him gently into her arms. Maverick beamed, his small cheeks turning a rosy color. He giggled as she tickled him.

Marius raised an eyebrow, "must be a girl thing." Luigi laughed.

"What in the devil was that?" The professor asked, "Strange weather patterns, huh?"

Syrup turned to him, "Oh, the majority of the storms in these waters carry a calm front before them. The worse the storm, the longer the calm front." Flavio clambered out onto the deck, looking up at the clear sky. He sighed with an air of contentment. "Not to worry, my dear. With a ship like the S.S. Teacup, I'm sure we'll be able to outrun any storm." He took a deep breath as if he were about to sing, but not before Syrup hurled a length of rope at him.

"Spare us."

He glared at her, preferring to keep his comments to himself. "Very well, but let me assure you. My excellent leadership skills and navigation will be what ensures our success on this voyage, you wait and see."

Syrup rolled her eyes. "I'm afraid I've been waiting far too long. Besides, since you ran off with that shadow shard I still haven't forgiven you."

Flavio opened his mouth to retort, but Luigi interjected. "Yeah, about that… what is a shadow shard?"

Kalliel appeared beside him. Syrup gently removed the black crystal from her pocket. "This," she started, holding it up for him to see. "Is a shadow _shard_, much different than the shadow fragments. Shadow shards are parts of Kamek's prison when he was trapped in the star realm. Shadow fragments are pieces of…Kamek himself." Syrup paused, watching the disturbed expression on Luigi's face. "Both of these things are dangerous, especially if he gets a hold of them. He can use shards to control those of his own will, while fragments are just pieces he needs to complete himself, ya' follow?"

"How do these crystals control you?" Luigi pondered, taking the thin black shard in his hand.

Syrup looked uneasy for a moment, "I…I'm not sure." Luigi handed it back to her, suddenly feeling somewhat nauseous. "Luigi, you okay?" Syrup gently asked, rubbing his back. He nodded slightly before walking over to the rail, taking slow breaths.

"Yeah…" He sighed as the nausea passed just as quickly as it had come. "Put it away, I think that's what's making me sick."

"It is," Kalliel said, leaning against the rail and crossing his arms. "You'll come to get used to it."

"What? You mean I'll be dealing with even more of these?" Luigi asked shakily.

"Of course. It's your duty as the new Master Knight to exterminate Kamek, is it not? You will destroy the shards and fragments won't you?" Kalliel questioned critically.

"I…I don't know…" Luigi gasped, suddenly frightened. "It all seems like too much…"

"Luigi… Mario can only do so much. When it all boils down to the bare facts, you are the only one who can save this world. I stayed in this world to ensure its future." He paused, his tone becoming somewhat pleading. "Don't back down now, Luigi. Think of Your brother, his beloved and Daisy."

Luigi looked up, his quivering ceasing as well. "I won't let Daisy be dragged into this," he said sternly. Kalliel smiled.

"If I don't do it for anyone else, I'll sure as hell do it for Daisy."

"That's more like it. No more panic attacks now, okay?" He chided, disappearing with a grin.

Luigi was silent for a moment. "Captain?"

"Oh hon, we need not be goin' by formalities. Call me Syrup," she said, her voice like honey.

"Alright… Syrup." He paused, a smile dancing on his lips. "How long do you think… will it take to reach Isla Tortuga?"

She flashed him a grin. "Don't quite know, lad. But if it be my instincts talkin' I'd say two to three weeks, maybe?" She gave an innocent shrug. Her eyes lit up as she spoke, "You'll love it there! Do you like dinosaurs?"

"Well…y-yeah, I guess so… yeah," Luigi replied. Syrup grinned at him. "You do know the story behind the yoshis right?"

"Not really…"

"Well, Millions of years ago, the yoshis all lived on one huge continent, right? Well when the continent split, so did the yoshis. Half of them went with one half; the others went with the other half. Just so happens, that the yoshis that stayed on the half that floated out to the south sea evolved to look like raptors." Syrup emphasized her story by baring her teeth and swiping her nails like claws. Luigi looked on with surprise. "Other dinosaurs live there too of course. There's one small port city of humans that has been there for several generations, but they leave the yoshis alone and vice versa. It's a pretty sweet set-up."

Luigi nodded. "But… uh… certain sources have told me that the yoshis on the island have-"

"The sword of Lazarus?" Syrup finished his sentence, giggling when he let out a slightly frustrated sigh. "Mmm, don't worry." She gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm sure if they knew of our predicament, they wouldn't hesitate to hand it over."

Luigi nodded. "I sure hope you're right."

* * *

It had been a few nights ago when his father and king had given him that little pep talk. Now, Pyewacket found himself back on top of the lookout ridge. He swatted a few flies with his whip-like tail before slumping to the ground with a childish huff. Like it or not, he still was a child; no where near old enough to be accepted as an adult in his own tribe.

With one last swipe at the small, biting insects, his eyes began to droop ever so slightly. "Grah…No…Can't-a falla sleep." He shook himself awake, climbing to his feet. Oh, how bored he was, and tonight, he was the only one on watch duty. Perhaps his father trusted him enough to make it his responsibility. No way did he want to ruin that trust. Still, he couldn't fight genuine exhaustion and within several minutes, found himself fast asleep; propped against his spear.

Pyewacket awoke to the trumpeting distress call of a yoshi from the valley below him. He rubbed his eyes and turned. Nothing. He listened intently for the sound, silence meeting his ears. He began to panic. What was that? It was common knowledge that one simply did not blare out a distress call for no reason. The low bellow met his ears once again before fading into the darkness.

The tiny clatter of pebbles from behind him made his horse-mane of red hair stand on end all the way down his neck. He gripped his weapon and turned, visibly shaking. He whimpered slightly as the sound of falling pebbles came again. He swallowed, deciding to investigate for the good of his tribe. With the spear pointed downward, he peered over the dark edge.

With a snarl, one of the Manticores leapt up at him, knocking him up and over the cliff. It stood watching as the young prince plummeted down to the ocean. The two tentacle-like ribbons of shadow that flowed from its shoulders flapped menacingly in the breeze as small clouds of black smoke swirled around its inky-black body. With a toothy sneer, it turned with a growl and bounded down the mountain.

Pyewacket screamed as he fell, his raptor-like body twisting as he tried to dig his talons into the cliff face. _Wait…wait, gotta fly…_ He desperately tried to spread his wings. He flapped, trying to climb higher. Ah, yet he forgot one thing… he couldn't fly yet.

He screamed as he ploughed into the water in a plume of spray and feathers.

* * *

Luigi met with everyone below deck in the mess hall. It was packed wall-to-wall with a variety of mushroom-people, koopas as well as himself, Syrup and the Bosun and the professor. (The only humans.) Marius, Breaker, and Hammer sat amongst the various crew members, engaging in mixed conversations.

"Luigi!" Syrup exclaimed, waving him over to an empty seat next to her and Flavio. Luigi grabbed himself a plate of food and sat amongst those of his species. "Syrup, I've been meaning to ask you… what exactly are your motives for traveling the seas?"

She smiled, folding her hands in front of her. "I'm on a quest to collect riches." She paused. "Eh, quest for wealth, romance… adventure."

"Ah, yes. All of the ingredients for the wondrous stew that is fantasy. Thrills, romance, Wealth!! Heh, not exactly in that order," Flavio interjected.

"Yes…" Syrup said, annoyed. "Anyway, I'm trying to get my coffers full again. Wario was the one who made off with all of my treasure in the first place."

"That's it! That's where I've heard your name before!" Luigi exclaimed, appearing excited.

Syrup looked to her silent Bosun and shrugged. "I beg yer pardon?" she queried.

"Wario bragged constantly a few years back about some great haul he found out on one of his 'adventures.' Personally, I think he was making it all up just to get attention."

"Oh, it's true. Probably over-exaggerated in some parts, knowing Wario. But nonetheless, he stole all that from me," Syrup scornfully growled.

Luigi finished his dinner and put his plate in the kitchen before returning. Flavio did the same. While he was away, Luigi leaned in a little closer to Syrup so only he and her could hear their conversation. "Were you and Flavio ever 'involved' by any chance?"

Syrup looked taken aback. "Y-yes…" she mumbled. Her tone became stern. "But I caught him trying to steal from me once and we got into an argument. Pretty one-sided if you look at the fact I caught the scallywag red-handed. But He finally stole a precious diamond from me as well as the shadow shard. It was then I decided enough was enough." She ended her little speech with a huff as he came back. "Why do you ask 'hon?"

Luigi smirked, "Little hard not to be curious what with you fighting on the deck like cats and dogs all day." She blushed slightly, red tinge causing her bronzed cheeks to glow. Somewhere up on deck, a gong was struck nine times. The lady pirate stood upon the table. "All right, ye sea dogs, that's nine bells! Time for bed for those who don't work the night watch!"

A chorus of groans and whoops was heard as the crew members filed out either into the sleeping quarter or out onto the deck. Marius decided to relieve a koopa of his night patrol and take over for him.

"If it's all right, Syrup, I'd like to help with the dishes before heading off to bed," Luigi offered.

She seemed surprise. She had never heard anyone ask for extra KP duty. "Alright." Maverick began zooming around Syrup's head with happy squeaks. "Aww, come here. Momma will hold you." She said, gently tickling the baby boo. Luigi smiled before disappearing into the kitchen, the smile staying with him the whole night. "Ah, the things you see when you don't have a camera."

* * *

A/N: I'll be on a short hiatus while I get the next few chapters done. Sorry for the wait. 


	13. Exile of the Prince

**Chapter 13: Exile of the Prince**

Luigi awoke the next morning to the gentle rocking of the boat and the creaking of the planks. A few beams of sunlight filtered through knotholes in the deck. One fell directly on Maverick's forehead. Luigi gently held him and stroked his head. Maverick must have curled up with him after he had fallen asleep. The little boo yawned and looked up at him. A small grin appeared on his face before he floated up and licked Luigi on the cheek. Somewhere across the room, professor Gadd's snore met his ears.

Luigi laughed and wiped his face. "Your tongue is cold, little buddy." As he climbed out of his hammock, he took the liberty of noticing that Maverick had gotten a bit bigger. Not very much, mind you, but he had indeed gotten bigger. Luigi was a master at catching the slightest differences. He walked forward and patted his little friend on the head. "See? And Daisy and I thought you weren't going to get better.

"Nyack!" Maverick Blurted, following Luigi as he climbed, squinting, onto the sunlit deck.

"Mornin' Weege!" Breaker called out. He and Hammer were eagerly pushing mops across the deck.

"Hey, what'cha guys doing?" Luigi asked, yawning and rubbing his eyes.

"Swabbin' the decks!" Hammer chirped. Luigi gave them skeptical looks, "You two doing work willfully?" He put his hands to his face in comical surprise, "I never would have guessed."

"Don't count your chickens, Weege," Breaker reprimanded, "Syrup said she'd throw a line out the back and let us drag along the bottom." He grinned. "So it's not without reward."

Luigi shook his head. "You two are nuts," he said with a smile.

"Mornin' sunshine!" the familiar voice of Captain Syrup floated across the ship. She came out of the captain's cabin carrying a bundle of something, Luigi couldn't make out what.

"What're those?" He asked. He was cut off as Syrup threw him a small parcel of clothes. "Put these on. You'll look more like a pirate and not like a tourist."

Luigi blushed angrily, "I do not look like a tourist…"

Syrup smirked, "I know, I was just giving you a hard time."

Luigi frowned as he stepped into a room to change. His look turned to one of interest as he looked through the clothes she had provided him with. He had long since discarded his overalls, but he found the clothing to his liking. He quickly changed into the black 'buccaneer's blouse,' as he called it; a thick, forest-green vest that seemed to be made out of some sort of dragon-skin, brown traveling pants- slightly baggy at the knee, which were easily tucked into a pair of leather boots. He admired himself in the mirror as he took The Key from its place in his bag and strapped it around his waist, with the blade lying horizontal across the small of his back.

Taking one last glance in the mirror to make sure the dagger was somewhat concealed from the front, he returned to the deck, where several members of the crew were busy either sunning themselves, or lazily strolling about the deck.

Syrup beamed at him. "Hmm, hmm, see? You look like a pirate now." She smirked, her fierce dark eyes boring into his. Luigi returned the look, a smirk of his own tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Think fast, M'boy!" The professor's voice rang out as Kalliel appeared where Syrup stood a split second ago.

"Agh! Ha!" He grunted. Swiftly drawing the knife from its scabbard and parrying a blow from the lady captain's massive scimitar. His arm ached as a jolt ran up its length. "Geez, you're strong…" he murmured, twirling the knife.

Kalliel smiled. "You're getting more confident. Now it's time for some more coaching." Luigi nodded.

"Oooh, Ooh!" Breaker and Hammer squawked seeing the two combatants square off, "We wanna watch, too!" Luigi tossed something at them. Breaker quickly snatched it out of the air and looked at it. "Hold it for me, will ya?" Luigi ordered. The item in the young Hammer Bro's hands was his captain's trusty hat.

"What's the lesson for today?" Syrup casually asked the ghostly defender. Kalliel thought for a moment, his hand to his chin. "Ah…yes. Luigi, you will be faced by opponents who are much stronger than you, you realize this correct?"

"Aye…" the young plumber nodded.

Kalliel shrugged, "You're a smart lad, give it your best shot," he said with a wink. Luigi stared blankly at his mentor momentarily before it dawned on him. "…Oh…"

"Kyaaa!" A shrill battle cry came from the lips of the Corsair as she advanced.

"Um…" Luigi hesitated, trying to remember things from the crossing voyage to Rougeport. "Woah!!" Came his exclamation as she swept at him. "You're gonna kill me!"

"Relax, babe! I'm not aiming at you." Syrup paused. "Maybe you should just try hitting the sword for now. Let's start with the basics. You're not a real pirate unless you can fight. So… try to loosen up first, you're so stiff, just swing, but remember to attack with the blade-defend with the flat part, 'kay?"

Luigi sighed with relief. At least _she_ would be easier on him.

He began to change his thoughts several hours later. It was late in the afternoon when they decided to stop. By that time, Luigi's arm felt like it was going to fall off. She was holding back, but at least she wasn't trying to beat the snot out of him.

He finally sunk against the mast, his nose and cheeks sun burnt. "Oy…" he sighed. Syrup handed her huge scimitar to the Bosun, who took it silently off to her quarters to put it away. "You did good 'hon." She sighed, patting him on the left shoulder. (He groaned whenever anything touched his right shoulder.)

Luigi grunted his reply. "I kind of feel like I'm not getting anywhere… just spinning my wheels."

"Don't be too hard on yourself, lad," Kalliel said, helping him to his feet. "You are making improvement. _You_ don't notice it, but we do." Syrup nodded.

Kalliel continued. "You are just unsure of your limitations. You are a great fighter, no doubt about that, but you just need to figure out what your limitations are. Once you do that, things will go a lot smoother."

Luigi's eyelids drooped. "Yeah…" he said wearily. He gave a huge yawn before perking up, "So when's dinner?"

* * *

The inky-black water stirred as Pyewacket struggled to keep a good hold on the mossy rocks at the cliff's base. He took huge gasps of air as he fought to keep his head above the choppy water.

Panting furiously, he managed to secure his hold on a rocky crag and using his tail as a rudder, swung himself around and hauled himself out of the icy water. He lay panting on the shore for a few long moments before hoisting himself back onto his feet. He plodded off down the beach, back towards the smell of smoke from the tribe's campfires. His wings dragged haphazardly along side of him as he stared down at his feet.

After about an hour of this, he fell into a crumpled heap in the center of the peculiarly darkened camp, only to be set upon by several brawny tribal guards. He clawed and kicked, trying to protect his already injured wings. After a few seconds, they seized his arms and lifted him off the ground. The captain held a torch up to the young dinosaur's face and sneered.

"'S just Pyewacket… Falling asleep on the job, eh? Ever since you moved up to a lookout things for this tribe have gone from bad to worse!" He bellowed in his face. Pyewacket cringed.

"Wassn't my fault!! Dey get me from behind!" He screamed angrily.

"If you hadn't been nappin', none of this would have happened! Half-the village has been destroyed!"

"What's all de commotion ova 'ere?!" The chieftain called, hustling over to the group. He stood rigid when he saw his son in the clutches of his soldiers. "Unhand 'in at once!"

They dropped him. In his weakened state, he couldn't break his fall. His father reached down and helped him up.

"Dey sneak-a up on me… had no chance…" He panted.

"You still fell asleep!" Scolded the captain.

The chief held up a taloned paw. "That ees enough." He then heaved a sigh, suddenly appearing weathered and weary in the dim torch lights. He turned to the captain. "We have no proof that this was his fault."

The orange yoshi bared his teeth, "no!" he barked. "You know the tribe's rules, sah! He fell asleep on post. If he was the only one, then that only means that he was solely responsible for the safety of the village!"

The chieftain's mouth opened and closed like a fish's as he tried to form words. "But… But… He's just a fledgling," he said weakly. The other scoffed. Another guard piped up, "Perhaps if we exile him, these things will go away!"

"That's the law anyway. He failed to protect the village, therefore he must be exiled."

"No!" Pyewacket barked. He desperately looked to his father and kicked against the guard's grasp. The captain brandished his spear, "half of the village is destroyed because of you, whelp!" He suddenly whipped around, slamming his tail against the prince. The young yoshi screamed as he was sent flying. His father gritted his teeth and shut his eyes before barking, "Run, boy! Get away from here before dey hurt you!!"

Clutching his bleeding shoulder, the exiled prince bolted up the rocky hill away from the village.

The captain of the guard's face softened as he approached the stoic chief. "Sah…. It… it's for the best…"

The chief snarled before retreating into the central hut. The captain sighed, looking at his men before turning his gaze up the path the injured prince had taken. Dark spots of blood were smeared amongst the leaves.

"Perhaps I went too hard on him…"

Another soldier walked up and placed a paw on his shoulder, "If ye don' mind me sayin' sah… it was for the best."

"Maybe…"

* * *

Seven more days passed pretty uneventfully for the crew of the Teacup. Luigi spent half of the days relaxing, helping out with the chores, or recuperating from the day's lessons. Every other day was spent practicing with the crew members and little by little, Luigi could definitely notice a change in himself. He felt stronger, braver.

"Thanks, guys… food's great!" Luigi hollered one night as he shut the door to his cabin. The boys were already in their hammocks while Maverick dove in and out of his bed's covers.

Luigi sat down at the small desk in the corner and casually lit the candelabra with a small spark from his hand. He opened one of the drawers and pulled out the letters from daisy, a quill pen, some ink and some slightly yellowed parchment. The candles cast a warm glow over the desk as he eagerly tore opened the letters and read the contents. He took the large piece of parchment and dipped the pen in the ink before beginning his letter:

_Dear Daisy,_

_Life's been pretty rough out here on the high seas. The Captain and Kalliel have been teaching me all sorts of things… many of which end with me on my butt in pain. It's kind of lonely out here without you. I'm looking forward to the return trip. Who knows, I might actually have some muscle on me by then, ha ha. _

_How are things in the kingdom? Give Peach and Toadsworth my regards. Oh, and say hi to my dorky brother for me, 'kay? _

_I love you so much and am looking forward to the day I see you again (God, was that mushy or what? Heh) _

_With much love,_

_Luigi_

He read it over once more before pulling out an envelope from the drawer, scribbling an address on it and carefully stuffed the letter inside. He sealed it with a small glob of melted wax before taking it up onto the deck.

Captain Syrup leaned casually against the railing, staring up at the stars. She turned when she heard Luigi's footsteps. "Ah, good evening, me bucko!" She said with a wide grin.

"Hey Cap'n," he retorted. "Is there anyone on deck with wings by any chance?"

"Is that your way of asking can anyone deliver mail?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I, uh- yeah…" he sighed, scratching his head. Syrup nodded and put two fingers to her mouth. She blew, releasing a strong, piercing whistle. A lone paratroopa came barreling out of the quarters, a large canvas bag strapped around his waist. He sported a large, blue shell, a pair of white, feathery wings sticking out of the back. He gave a quick salute, "Aye!"

"This is Raaj; he's the fastest paratroopa I've ever seen. He prides himself with making the trip from Isle Delfino to Mushroom city in a single day."

Luigi gave a slow, low whistle, "That's saying something." He handed the letter and a couple of pieces of silver to Raaj, who took it and disappeared off into the heavens.

"Will he be back before we reach the island?" Luigi questioned, leaning against the rail. Syrup shrugged silently, continuing to focus on the waves.

"So… what's my lesson for tomorrow?"

Syrup gave him a smirk. "Efficiency in the use of magic, of course. You know how to use it," she looked down to his white-gloved hands. "I'll have a present for you tomorrow, if you're good." She cast a sly look in his direction.

"What's that supposed to mean? I've gotta beat you at your own game?"

"Yes."

Luigi looked up at the stars, "Well," he said with a yawn, I'm going to turn in."

"Mmm, goodnight," Syrup said with her own yawn.

"Oh, one more thing. How fast does this ship go?"

"We're going about 55 knots," She said, amusing herself at the look upon Luigi's face.

"That's fast."

She gave a final nod before retreating to the captain's quarters. Luigi in turn retreated to his room.

* * *

The moon was high in the sky by the time Pyewacket stopped running. More liked collapsed, actually. The smell of running water had brought him to a small stream running through heavily forested area. He drug himself to it and buried his head in the pristine waters, taking huge gulps in desperation to compensate for the loss of blood.

He drew his head out with a gasp, resting his head upon a rock for a while before gently washing the cut. His leg muscles ached and burned from the constant running and his sides hurt from the heavy breathing.

After he had cleaned his cut and drank his fill, he crawled over to a patch of soft grass and curled up into a ball, resting his head upon his tail.

A sob escaped his lips as he stared up at the sky.


	14. Battle aboard the SS Teacup

A/N: Greetings from never-land! Hope you all have been enjoying the story. Now, however, is the time where we will stop beating around the bush and get Luigi's trials started. Will he make it through? Why do I sound like a TV announcer? I dunno, read and find out.

As always, thanks for all your wonderful reviews. Don't worry though; This story is going to be extremely long. So, trust me, we're nowhere near the time to call it quits!

* * *

**Chapter 14: Battle aboard the SS Teacup**

Early the next morning…

On deck, Flavio's voice was heard shouting wildly as he rang the large brass bell. The loud rings sounded as he gave warning calls; "All hands on deck, we've got a situation here! All hands on Deck!"

Luigi woke with a start, finding his friends doing the same. "Urggh… why so early?" he groaned.

"Get yer boots on, boy!" Gadd hollered, shaking Breaker awake. Further down the hall the other sailors were quickly waking up, grabbing any weapon they could find as they did so.

Syrup's angry voice drifted down the hall, "Who does that impudent little cuss think he is?!" She shouted, "_I'm_ the captain of this ship!!" She stomped past Luigi's room, "On deck all hands! Come on, move it!" She stormed up onto the deck, her faithful Bosun following at her heels, shouting something in Desert-speak.

Marius removed his white-marble hammers and swung them expertly while Breaker and Hammer, still groggy, each pulled out two standard Hammer Bro hammers for themselves. Maverick squeaked frightfully, burying his face in Luigi's shirt as everyone rushed out of the room, leaving them alone.

Luigi fumbled with his boots. "Mav, can you give me a hand?" Maverick looked at his curiously; all fear gone from his small, innocent face before clapping his flipper-like arms together several times. Luigi looked up at him with a smirk, "You're a real card…w-Woah!" He overbalanced and crashed to the floor. Maverick squawked apologetically as he helped him up. Luigi finished putting on his boots as the small boo strapped the Key's silver scabbard to his friend's waist.

"Whark!" He barked, letting Luigi know he was done. Luigi rubbed his head, "It's alright, you can stay here if you're scared… I wish I could." Maverick stared at him for a moment with his large rosy-pink eyes before adopting a more courageous look on his face. He warbled loudly, flying in circles before settling on Luigi's head and bristling menacingly.

Luigi chuckled lightly, "You're gonna protect me, then?" Maverick nodded. Luigi grabbed his hat and put it on his head over the little ghost. A loud SHINK behind him made him whirl around apprehensively. Kalliel stood with a borrowed rapier in hand. "Something's amiss," he stated. "Let's go." He flew up through the ceiling onto the deck with everyone else. Luigi ran up the steps, joining the rest of the crew. Loud murmuring could be heard over the flap of the sails.

Luigi made his way over to Kalliel, staring intently at Flavio who had climbed up on top of a barrel, cutlass in hand. "I tell you my friends, fiends are upon us! Look, look to the sails!"

Everyone turned; Syrup gaped angrily at the large, smoldering hole in the main sail- the charred canvas flapping loosely in the early morning air. "We're under attack, my friends!" Flavio bellowed over the excited crowd of pirates.

"If we are under attack, then where are the oppressors?" Kalliel called out. A chorus of "Hey, yeah," filled the air as everyone turned their attention back to the flamboyantly-dressed young man. Flavio gulped, "Very difficult to explain, you see… The ship appeared before my very watchful eyes, fired a warning shot, then poof! Gone!"

Luigi rolled his eyes and looked off the starboard side. He squinted as something caught his eye. He hurried to the railing, eyes fixated on whatever it was. Kalliel looked to where he was a moment before spying him over at the railing.

"What is it, Luigi?" He asked slowly. A low hum met his ears. Turning his head down, he saw Luigi's right hand crackled with fiery blue sparks. "Look…" Luigi quietly said. Kalliel turned his eyes to where he pointed. The murmur of the congregation behind the two continued as Kalliel squinted, seeing something against the horizon. The light was being bent strangely. "What is that?"

A large ship with black sails appeared where the mirage was and fired a long-nine cannon in their direction. "Get down!" Luigi shouted leaping into the air. Kalliel leapt out of the way, shouting, "They're aiming for the main mast!"

The blue fire in Luigi's hand crackled as he flew in front of the cannon ball, striking it sharply with his fiery hand. The ball exploded into a hundred fragments, falling to the deck with tiny clatters, most of them semi-molten at the edges and crackling with electricity.

Gasps and shouts were heard from the crew as Marius and Kalliel stood speechless. Luigi landed back on the deck and waved away the smoke that wafted over his hand. Syrup caught sight of the ship before it reverted back to its mirage shape. "Load the licorice cannons! Aim for the ripples in the light!" She shouted to the gunners as the group of koopas and toads ran below deck to load the cannons. "Let's try to get in closer!"

The Bosun ran to the helm and brought the large ship around so the oppressors stared at the Teacup's broadsides.

Kalliel walked over to his young apprentice. Luigi stared down at his glove, now charred, shaking his head. Kalliel clapped him on the shoulder. "St. Elmo's fire… Very powerful. Good thinking." He patted him heartily on the back. Luigi took a deep breath and sighed.

"I'm tired now…"

"It's a new spell. Of course you're tired. Pace yourself though, 'tis only the start of this battle."

The corsairs that had remained on deck covered their ears as the cannons were fired with loud booms. Everyone watched as the large black balls sailed through the air, missing the ship except for one. The one that hit smacked the ship's port side, damaging several cannons as it exploded on impact. Syrup smirked. "Behold the wonders that are the licorice cannons. Their ammunition explodes on impact, sending out several small exploding charges."

"Madam!" Shouted Raaj, who apparently came back during the night as they could see from his tired look, "How long till we fire de next round?" His voice was thick with a desert accent, much like the majority of the crew.

"Might take several minutes," she answered.

"Weege!" Breaker hollered, "Gadd's gone down to the hold! He says he's helping with the cannons! What do we do?" Breaker and Hammer surprised everyone, their demeanors changed almost instantly the moment danger was present. The normally goofy young men were now doing what they could to show courage and take charge.

Luigi turned to the Captain, unfazed at their changes, "Syrup! Tell the men to hold their fire!" _With Gadd down there, they'll have the cannons loaded in half of what it takes. If I can have some time, I may be able to finish this,_ He thought to himself.

Syrup stared at him. "Just do it!" Luigi yelled, running over to the mast. She looked around for a minute before nodding. "OY!" She yelled down into the Cannon hold. "Hold your fire, you scurvy dogs!" She turned back to Luigi, "what are you planning?"

"They're running on a cloaking device!" Luigi called as he leap up the mast, jumping across to the other one and doubling back the other, landing on the horizontal cross beam that suspended the sails.

"A cloaking device? On a ship that big?!"

"Yeah. If I can get a clear shot, I can take it out. Trust me, I know my gadgets." Syrup stood silent for a moment, looking off the other side of the ship. Rocky crags and cliffs were visible and off in the distance, a long, curved shoreline stretched. They were coming around the rear-end of the turtle-shaped island; almost to their destination. "Alright, good luck… Luigi. Our fate rests with you. Bosun!" She called, "Make sure Luigi gets a clear shot at their mast."

"Aye aye!"

He steadied the ship as Luigi braced himself. Syrup paced her hand comfortingly on Aldjin's lamp, seeking comfort. She wasn't afraid of anything, but she couldn't fight anything she couldn't see. The ship brought its bow directly on a perpendicular path with the SS Teacup, giving Luigi a clear sight of the Mizzen mast. He charged up his left hand. (His right one was slightly numb from the spell earlier.) If he was going to do this, he needed a steady hand and a lot of energy. After a few short seconds, thanks to a heap of practice, a large ball of electricity crackled in his hand. Clenching his hand into a fist, the ball of electricity contracted to the size of a small plum. Raising his thumb up and pressing his index and middle finger together, he made a gun-shape with his hand and putting his arm up horizontally, used it as a mount for his makeshift 'Lightning sniper.' He carefully aimed, closing one eye.

Maverick peeked out from under his cap at the bright blue light. "3…2…1… you're done," Luigi murmured. He shot the bolt out with a bang, the kickback flinging him against the solid wooden mast behind him. The ball flew in a straight path, hitting the main mast with a bright explosion. The ship came into view as the cloaking device was destroyed.

"Yeah!!" Breaker, Hammer and Marius cheered, slapping each other high fives.

"Alright!" Syrup cheered, hugging the Bosun tightly. "Okay crew. FIRE!!"

The licorice cannons all fired at once, rocking the ship and jarring Luigi from his position. He hollered as he fell headfirst towards the deck. At the last second, he swung his body around and swept his arm out in front of him, causing his fall to instantly stop. He gently put his feet on the ground as Kalliel smiled at him. "Good job lad, looks like you are getting the hang of this."

"Too bad the ship's right there," Breaker said. Sure enough, the ship had made it through that final barrage, though sustaining ridiculous amounts of damage, and was now side to side with the Teacup. Syrup drew her sword and forcefully rang the alarm bell, "All able bodies on deck, NOW!!" a group of pirates filed out onto the deck, drawing their cutlasses as a group of evil-looking koopas swung on ropes across the gaps between the ships and flooded the deck of the Teacup. All pirates fought bravely as the smell of gunpowder from the cannons mingled with the sounds of crashing steel. Here they were, fighting off the far coast of Isla Tortuga, so near to their destination.

Luigi put his hand defensively on silver pommel of the short sword, "All right, mom. Let's see what this thing can really do." He drew it, silver sparkling in the morning sun. He discarded his blackened gloves and shouted as he leapt into the fray, swing wildly at anything he didn't recognize.

Kalliel swept beautifully amongst the ranks of invaders, swinging his cutlass with precision and speed. He bashed an unfortunate pirate beetle over the head before kicking a dark Koopatrol over the edge with a "Hya!" On the other side of the ship, Syrup and the Bosun with their massive scimitars sent several koopas screaming as they flew off of the boat.

The Bosun grimaced, "ooh, dis will be a mess to clean up later, m'lady."

"Aye," Syrup agreed, incinerating another one of the koopas with a cyan fireball. "Luigi!" She called. "These are soldiers from Darkland! They're after you, so don't let yourself get beat!"

Luigi replied with a loud "Hyaaah!" As he sliced a Koopatrol across the chest with the Key, slicing his armor off before sweeping his arm in front of him, gracefully unleashing an arc of green flame. _Strange, How could Kamek know I was here? _Luigi thought. He wasn't afraid, must be because he was fighting to protect his friends. It relieved him, actually.

Meanwhile, Breaker and Hammer swung their hammers wildly, doing pretty well for themselves. Marius, however, truly was a sight to behold. White marble hammers glittering in the tropical sun as he slammed them on the helmets and shells of Koopatrols and koopas alike. They all stopped when the deck gave a huge shudder. Something had made its way to the deck, something very big.

"Sledge bro!!" Breaker screamed. The massive koopa leapt up and slammed back onto the deck with a huge crash! Several bold corsairs charged him but were swiped out of the way with a mighty swing of his enormous hammer. The ones hit sailed through the air and crashed into masts, planks, everything. The sledge bro gave a deep, throaty laugh in its triumph. The battle resumed.

"Kyaaa!" Breaker and Hammer shouted as they linked arms and spun across the deck, bowling over a group of soldiers. "Awright!! Stee-rike!!" Breaker cheered doing a small victory dance.

Luigi called for Marius to help him with the Sledge Bro while he ordered Hammer and Breaker to do what they did best: cause a ruckus to distract the others. "Just a sec, Luigi," Marius said, raising his hammers over his head. They began to glow before a ripple sent itself over the weapons, giving them the appearance of semi-molten metal. Marius slammed them together; the glow faded and in his hand rested a single, large sledge hammer, exactly identical to the two he had before.

"See if you can stun him, I'll go for a homerun!" Marius said, resting the huge hammer head on his shoulder. Luigi put both hands out in front of him and gathered a collective ball of energy before releasing it with the call, "Thunder-r-r!!" It merely bounced off the large turtle's shell. He guffawed heavily before knocking Luigi to the ground with a swing of his fist.

"Agh…" He groaned, vision going funny. _That may have been a glancing blow, but man did that hurt…_ Marius tried in vain to protect his friend, finding himself knocked to the ground and sprawled on the deck, head spinning. Luigi blinked a few times, trying to keep hold of his conscious as he saw the sledge bro wander over to him. At the last possible second, Maverick appeared between them, doubled in size and snarling viciously.

"Holy crap…" Luigi muttered as Maverick rushed forward, sinking his fangs into the Sledge bro's shoulder. Luigi thought to himself for a moment before hearing Kalliel, _St. Elmo's fire- it'll do damage and stun him long enough for Marius to defeat him, go on, and hurry! _"Right…" After a few minutes of charging and praying that Maverick didn't get hurt, Luigi aimed his hands for the Sledge bro, Marius looking up wearily as he did so. Maverick was flung to the floor, back to his normal size, whimpering in pain. The behemoth wiped at his bloodied shoulder, growling in annoyance. Maverick bravely picked himself up and floated trembling between Luigi and the monster.

"Mav, Vanish!" Luigi yelled. The little boo disappeared as Luigi flung the burning blue fireball at the opposing turtle. The sledge bro sat paralyzed as he smoldered and sparked. "Marius!"

"You got it, chief!" The young man had picked himself back up and was now running full tilt at the monstrous Sledge bro. With a mighty swing, he sent the enemy flying directly into the air before (still running) slamming the hammer into the deck, launching himself into the air. He wound up, a grin spreading across his face.

"FOOORE!!!" He screamed, spinning with his hammer and hitting the dazed sledge bro in a perfect arc. Breaker giggled as he watched the smoking turtle sail through the air and land it the water with a massive crash. Marius landed on the deck, once again shouldering his weapon. Luigi clambered to his feet, covered in smudges and scrapes.

A small group of koopas were all that remained, and they all had been rounded up into a group in the center. A small group of battered corsairs trained pistols, muskets and in Raaj's case, a bow and arrow on the captives.

"Drop your weapons!" Syrup, brushing a few strands of flyaway hair, strode over, grimacing angrily. They did as they were told, raising their arms over their head. "Lock them in the brig, Mr. Porter," she motioned to a large Toad with Black spots on his cap. As they were taken below, Syrup called out several final orders, "Get the wounded to the infirmary, Bosun? Help organize the rest of the crew for clean up and ship repairs. Anyone able to work, get busy. This thing's not going to sail with holes in the broadsides, now is it?"

Luigi sighed, cleaned his blade on a piece of discarded canvas and examined the damage. The battle in reality had not lasted long, but the after effects would take a while to get over. Several crewmembers, bleeding and groaning, were being hauled below deck while other crewmen were tossing dead Koopatrols over the railings. Syrup wandered to each fallen member of her crew, sometimes with shouts of "Here's another!" before some koopas or toads took him below deck to be taken care of. Luigi walked over to her as she knelt down beside a few of the ones who had been brutally thrown by the Sledge bro.

"Are they okay?" He asked quietly.

There was a long pause as she quickly examined them. "Sort of… they'll need proper medical assistance, good thing we're near the port." She removed the lamp from her pocket and rubbed it. The genie from earlier appeared. "Aldjin," she sighed, "Please can you give us a little assistance? Not so rough this time."

He nodded before appearing behind the ship. He gave several short puffs and the ship was sent on its way again. Some crewmen hopped amongst the rigging, trying to patch up the hole in the mainsail as Breaker and hammer swept the debris off the side "You okay, hon?" Syrup asked Luigi as Kalliel wandered up behind him.

He nodded after a long pause. "I'm fine. A few scrapes, but I'm just shaken…" He looked at the three injured koopas. "I'm sorry…"

"It happens. I never said being a pirate was glamorous. Don't be too hard on yourself; at least no one was killed. I wonder why they would trail you all the way out here." She looked up at the approaching Bosun, "Status report," She barked.

"Twelve eenjured and in the infirmary. Everyone else ees fine, except for a few scrapes." He wandered off to help with repairs.

Luigi smiled a bit, "Yeah… No one was killed." Syrup stared at his saddened face for a moment. "What did you notice about yourself?"

"Not now…" Luigi murmured.

"Luigi…"

With a sigh, he thought. "Magic's becoming easier for me… I didn't freak out as bad… and, I didn't screw up with a sword." A smile found its way to Syrup's lips, "Well." She took out a pair of black, fingerless gloves and handed them to Luigi, "Magic needs a port of exit, your fingers, so when you cover them up it's harder to use it." He looked at his hands (blackened with soot) before slipping them on. On the backs of the hands were thin plates of armor, small and unrestricting. "As for the fear, you were trying to protect all of us." She grinned at him, "You must be a really good friend to everyone at home."

Luigi chuckled nervously, "Sometimes. I guess being out here helps a lot. One can't find time to panic when your friends are in trouble, now can you?" Syrup nodded. "Come on," Luigi finished, "I'll help you clean the ship."

Flavio picked that exact moment to give a speech. "Well, done, my friends! We sure showed them who was boss!"

"Oh, Shut up!!" Marius exclaimed.

"You didn't even do anything; you hid in a barrel the whole time!" Luigi scowled.

Maverick appeared in midair and snarled, causing Flavio to hop back into an empty barrel with a yelp. Maverick sat there for a moment, glaring at the container, growling like a puppy.

* * *

About two hours later, the ship docked at the wharf of Isla Tortuga's port. They were greeted by the workers rather warmly, but upon entering the town, they found that it was almost deserted. "Where is everyone?" Marius questioned, glancing around at all of the closed shutters on the buildings. 

"First thing's first," Syrup said as she turned to the Bosun. "Get the injured up to the hospital. I'm going to look around for dry dock vacancies."

"I'll find a hotel somewhere," Luigi piped up. Marius, Hammer, Breaker, and Gadd nodded as they followed him up the hill amongst the buildings. The sun was bright, but where was everyone?

The group wandered into the lobby of a large hotel. Breaker looked around nervously as Luigi called out a shaky, "H-Hello?"

"Yes?" A toad-clerk from behind the counter replied.

Luigi swallowed for a moment. "Um, yes, hi. We're looking for accommodations for our crew… we just pulled into port."

"For what reason you came out here, I dunno… but ye all look like ye've been through hell."

"Well, we had a little scrap offshore with some pirates…"

"Yeah!" Breaker blurted, "You should've seen it! We were all like BLAARGH! And he was all like, FWOOSH, flame, BOOM! And-" He was silenced as Hammer and Marius clapped their hands over his mouth. Luigi pulled out the old parchment letter he had gotten at Mario's place and showed it to the clerk. "I got this about a month ago… We've been traveling here this whole time… sorry for the wait." The clerk was silent as he put on a pair of Half-moon spectacles, opened the letter and read it.

"I see," he said after a silence. "So you're Mario, correct?"

"Oh, geez… Here we go again…" Luigi groaned.

* * *

A/N: They have arrived (Dramatic music) 


	15. Jewel of the Tropics

A/N: Hope everyone had a Merry Christmahanukkwanzaakas… Winter break…thing…yeah, okay I'm done…

**Chapter 15: Jewel of the Tropics**

"A thousand pardons," the middle-aged clerk said, removing his gasses to clean them. "You must be Luigi."

Luigi heaved a sigh of relief, "Yes. Thank you."

The clerk paused, staring at him with a warm smile. "You'll have to forgive me. Though I have heard of both you and your brother, I've never seen you in person, so I'm terrible with names." He paused. "Accommodations you say, hmm?" He stared at the small group over the tops of his spectacles. "I believe they're on me this time."

A smile found its way to each of their faces.

"Well see, you guys got rid of our little problem if you defeated the black pirates." He nodded to the window, "Look out there… what do you see?"

Luigi did as he was told, "empty streets…"

"Aye…We were being blockaded- no one came in and no one went out. Except for the people born here, no one's been here for weeks."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Luigi said quietly.

"Why apologize? You saved our necks ye did!" He chuckled warmly. "Welcome to Puerta Tortuga! The tropical jewel of the South Sea." He shook Luigi's hand vigorously before handing him several keys to the rooms. "Ahh… the rest of your crew can come pick their keys up later. For now, go get some rest and clean yerself up. By the way, if ye be needing anything, me name's Samuel Giles." He bowed warmly to his guests before dashing out the front door to tell everyone of the good news.

"Gimme the key, son. I need a shower…" Gadd grumbled taking his key and plodding off to his room. Luigi, Marius and the twins bounded up the stairs in good spirits as they went to locate their rooms. There were four floors to the hotel and probably about seventy to eighty rooms on each. Luigi finally found his on the third floor; Marius's next to his and naturally Hammer and Breaker's rooms across the hall.

"Hey guys!" He called across the hall to Hammer and Breaker. "Hurry up and get settled in so we can go get our stuff!"

"A'ight!" Came the boys' voices as Marius walked out of his room and locked the door. They left the professor in the hotel and quickly ran down to the docks to find Syrup.

"'Hoy there, Luigi!" She called waving to them in front of a large boat-house. "Ship's in dry-dock right now, but we've got all the stuff unloaded. You find us somewhere to stay?"

"Mm-hmm," Luigi said quickly. "We won't be staying there for a dime." Syrup rubbed her hands together. "Good, good. Well, get yer stuff and show us where it is."

Luigi and the boys grabbed their things and, making sure they had the professor's belongings, led the way up to the large hotel. "The clerk said to just grab your key and head on up. I'm gonna go get cleaned up, see you later Syrup." With that, he left the beautiful captain behind as he went up to the room with the bags.

He hurled them onto the bed and entered the bathroom. He quickly shed the brine-caked shirt, vest, and pants that had been his apparel for the past three weeks, grimacing as several large flakes of hardened sea-salt crumbled off of them. He quickly jumped into the shower, taking note that it was also a very large bathtub. A good soak wouldn't hurt. It _was _still late morning.

He closed the plug and allowed the tub to fill with the hot water. When the tub was almost full, he became aware of a strange smell; the water was herb-infused. Perfect. It felt good to finally be clean again.

Once the tub was full, Luigi cut off the water and sat down with a sigh before slipping under. He grimaced as the steaming water covered his bruises and scrapes from the battle earlier.

After about an hour of hard scrubbing, he drained the water and wrapped a towel around his waist. He frowned as he stepped onto the tile of the bathroom floor. No matter how hard he had scrubbed, his skin still had a darkened appearance. He wandered over to the mirror and wiped the fog off of it, taking a brush in his hand. As he looked up to his reflection, the brush slipped from his grasp and landed with a wooden clatter upon the floor.

"I…that…that can't be me…" he muttered. The eyes were the same, still the large, sensitive, sapphire orbs he knew, but he himself was different. Now it dawned on him. His skin wasn't grimy; it was tanned from the sun. His body now had a golden-brown glow that was almost the same as Daisy's. Thankfully his entire torso was evenly-colored-having spent several days on the deck of the teacup shirtless-no wonder all the men went that way; it had been unworldly hot. The only thing that seemed to stand out was the thin, light scar that ran above his eyebrow from where Waluigi had kicked him in the face.

Moving back to his appearance, his hair was several shades lighter-normally a blackish, sable color, it was now earthy-brown but not as light as Mario's. A smile found its way to his lips as he realized something else. From the constant work he had done on the ship, any bit of 'pudge' he had left was gone. He wasn't overly buffed like the Bosun, but he certainly sported definition. He smirked to himself, "Now I really can be called the 'Lean, mean, Green Machine.'"

Still smirking, he went back into the room and rummaged through his suitcase until he found a pair of swim trunks, green of course, and put them on, proceeding to dry his hair before gathering up his clothes, hat, wet towel and boots and placing them in the laundry chute in one corner of the room. He pulled out a blue and green T-shirt and slipped it on over his head and pocketed his cell phone before slipping some sandals on and hurrying out, locking the door.

"Yo! Weege! I'm hungry, let's go get some food!" Breaker and Hammer called up as he bounded down the stairs.

"Alright. Keep in mind they might not have much since they _were_ being cut off."

"Naw, relax," Breaker said, "We've already talked with a bunch of people. This is a _resort_…thingie… I don't think they'll run out of food after a couple of weeks."

"Yeah, Weege," Hammer continued, "Besides, we've already found out a few things about the town."

Luigi smiled, "Very well. You tell me about that…"

"And you tell us about your room," Hammer smirked. "Each of us got different views. What's yours like?"

"I can see the beach…"

The boys groaned with envy as they walked out into the sun-washed, cobblestone street. There certainly was more activity in the town. Store owners shouted to one another as workmen ran up and down the street. Inside each store, clerk and managers were seen on any available phone. Luigi raised an eyebrow. "Who on earth could everyone be calling?"

"Merchants, travel agents, suppliers, you name it," Hammer answered. They found a small beach shack down amongst some large palm trees and bought something to eat. The three friends sighed contentedly as they flopped down onto a pile of pearly-white sand beneath the shade of a large coconut palm. Just a few fish tacos, but they weren't looking for a huge meal; just something to hold them over until dinner time.

The entire time they ate, Luigi was silent as Hammer and Breaker joked amongst themselves. It wasn't long before Marius and the professor came and joined them. Luigi still remained silent as he reclined against the tree, staring out over the shimmering waves.

Gadd began speaking, "Well boys, here's the deal. I've spoken with the hotel manager and he didn't seem to know anything about entering the reservation." He glanced over to Luigi who still continued to stare out over the beach, shimmering in the heat. "Y'get all that, boy?" No response.

"Luigi?" The boys turned to him. "…" Luigi heaved a quiet sigh as Kalliel wandered up beside them. "Hmm? What's going on here?" He asked.

Gadd smirked, "Hey!" He barked, slamming his elbow into the tree. A small coconut came loose and fell onto Luigi's head with a loud BONK.

"Owww… Jeez, what was that for?!" He grimaced, rubbing his head. Kalliel covered his mouth with one hand as he tried to stifle a laugh.

Gadd shook his head before removing his lab coat, folding it, and placing it beneath his head. He chuckled as he stared up into the fronds of the tree, "Nuthin.' I can tell your mind isn't here with us. You're busy thinking about someone with long eyelashes." He plucked a large, red hibiscus from a nearby bush before sniffing it. "…Smellin' sweet perfume."

"Aww," Kalliel said with sympathy, "Looks to me like someone's lovesick." Luigi looked up at him in shock as the ghost folded his arms and looked down at him as he leaned against the tree.

Luigi opened is mouth to say something witty, but realizing their comments were true, he sighed dejectedly and turned his gaze back to the sea. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize," Gadd said. Luigi didn't tear his gaze away from the water as he continued, "I can't help it…Daisy, I-… I love her. I just miss her."

"I know you do," Kalliel said reaching down and patting him on the head.

"Hey, where's my Homie?" Breaker asked, looking around for the little boo. At that moment, Maverick stuck his head out from a small pile of snow-white sand with a squeak.

"He's right there," Luigi said slyly. Breaker gave him a flat look while Hammer giggled. Luigi smiled as he pulled out his phone and flipped it open. "Hey, cool! I'm actually getting a signal out here."

"Duh, it's a resort," Gadd said with a grin, idly scooping up a handful of sand and pouring it back out into a small mound. Luigi watched him as he made a depression in the center, creating a miniature volcano, before taking a picture of him with the camera in his phone. Luigi knew he once lived on the side of a volcano. He often wondered if he ever missed it.

He clicked a few more pictures, including one of the three Hammer Bros. striking a few poses, one of Kalliel half-asleep against the tree, and one of the basic scenery before dialing an area code and a familiar phone number.

The phone rang a few times, each time causing an unbearable feeling of suspense to grow inside of him.

"Hello?" Came Daisy's voice from the other end.

"Hey." He said casually. He quickly pulled the phone away from his ear as a loud and ecstatic squeal came from the princess.

"Damn…" Gadd said quietly before bursting into laughter.

"Luigi! Yeah! 'Bout time you called!" She hollered happily into her phone. Back in her room at the castle, Peach stared at her quizzically, sniggering to herself. Daisy rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue as she leaned against the pillows on her bed. "I'm happy to hear you made it! How's the weather?" she laughed.

"Hang up for a sec and I'll send you some pictures," his statement was met with a short click. He sent the pictures he had just taken to her phone. Several long minutes later she called back. "…I'm jealous."

"Don't be. It's been one hell of a time getting here."

"Peach told me you're going to the Yoshi reservation. Have you gotten a chance to look around?"

"Daisy, we just pulled in early this morning. And before that we had a run-in with pirates," Luigi said.

There was a pause on the other line. "A-Are you okay? Like, you're not gonna come home missing any limbs or anything, right?" She asked in a quiet voice.

Luigi smiled softly, "No. I'm alright."

"…okay." Luigi could tell she was smiling on the other side. He could faintly make out her voice. She was bragging to Peach. Luigi chuckled to himself.

"Ha, see? _My _boyfriend's a pirate."

Peach giggled and rolled her eyes. Breaker began tugging on Luigi's sleeve. "Yeah, what is it, Bud?" He asked. The Hammer Bro. pointed up the steep hill to the large ranger's station. Luigi nodded.

"Hey, Daisy? I'm gonna have to cut this short. I-…What?" He paused as Daisy spoke.

"Mario wants you to get in touch with him when you get the chance. I told him you were upset and he went on a bit of a guilt trip. So, do that for me okay?"

"Alright," Luigi said, starting to feel a knot of mixed emotions in his stomach.

"Oh, one more thing," Daisy started. "Happy belated birthday, Sweetie."

Luigi's jaw dropped…He had completely forgotten. How long ago had it been? Two weeks! He didn't even give it a passing thought. "You forgot didn't you?" Daisy asked slyly.

Luigi gulped, "Er… no…maybe…yeah, yes I did." _Dammit…_

"Well, we'll just be sure to give you a big bash when you get back, kay? Love you!" and with that, she hung up. Luigi sat there in the sand for a few minutes with his phone in his hand before slowly closing it and letting it and his face fall onto the ground. Big mistake though… he was going to be sneezing sand for a few hours.

Maverick gave a worried warble as he poked his friend gently on the head.

"What's wrong, Weege?" Hammer asked, "Bad news back home?"

"Sort of…" he mumbled into the sand. "Mario finally got back and… I forgot my own birthday… Two weeks past!"

Gadd patted him on the back with a chuckle. "That's what age does to ya' sonny. Come to think of it, the past few birthdays I've had, you and the boys needed to remind me."

"Professor, I don't think you're helping," Marius said sympathetically. Breaker tugged on his sleeve. "Hammer and I are gonna go look in the shops, kay?" Luigi nodded before raising his head and wiping the sand off his nose. "Stick together you two, we're probably going to go up to the ranger's station."

"A'ight!" And with that, the brothers disappeared into the town.

"Why the concern with Breaker?" Kalliel wondered.

Luigi shook his head. "He doesn't know how to haggle, if you catch my drift." Kalliel immediately saw what he was getting at. "Oh, he's one of the ones who end up wanting to pay twice as much for something, huh?"

"Bingo…"

The young plumber pushed himself up off of the ground and brushed himself off. "Let's go check out that station, see if we can hire a guide for tomorrow." Marius had gone with the brothers just to keep an eye on them. The last thing he wanted was a repeat of Rougeport.

That left Luigi, Maverick, the professor, and Kalliel. As they walked up the hill, Luigi looked over at his mentor who, even though he was a ghost, was wiping sweat off of his brow. "Go change," He said suddenly. Kalliel was still wearing the surcoat and armor he had always had.

Kalliel nodded and vanished, later appearing in a dark blue T-shirt and shorts. "I must apologize, but like you and your hat, Luigi, I have become accustomed to wearing my old armor." Luigi smiled and stretched as they continued plodding up the hill.

"Beautiful weather even _if _it is late October," Kalliel commented. "Though I _am_ suspicious as to why they referred to the island as cursed." Luigi swallowed apprehensively.

"Eh, what the hey," Gadd shrugged, snapping Luigi out of his terror-induced moment. "Let's not say anything about it and enjoy it while we can."

"Oof…" Luigi grunted as Gadd jumped onto his back, "Mush!" Said the tiny professor.

They made a quick stop at the hotel to pick up the papers the princess had given to Luigi before heading up the rest of the way at a run. They reached the ranger station and entered, feeling the blast of welcoming air conditioning. It was a nice reprieve from the heat of the tropical island.

Luigi approached the woman at the reception desk, politely greeting her as he did so.

"Good afternoon," said the lovely female koopa at the desk. She had long, brown hair carefully pulled back in a ponytail and her shell was a lovely coral color. "Can I help you three gentlemen?"

Luigi offered a warm smile, as he presented the papers to her. "Hello, any chance we might be able to find a guide?"

"Oh," she said apologetically, "I'm sorry, but our staff members have fled the island, I just got off the phone with one of our archaeologists, the earliest he will be in is tomorrow, will that be alright?"

Luigi shrugged. "Perfect. It'll give us a chance to relax."

"Sir? If you want, I can go ahead and take those papers and register you for immediate entry tomorrow. Do you have a number we can reach you at when the ranger gets in?"

"Sure. Here," He said, writing down the number of his hotel room.

"Thank you sir," She said as she smiled sweetly. "I'll give you a call when he gets in." She waved them off as they exited the building.

"Alright, we're in," Luigi said, congratulating himself.

"A few more days, and we will have found the sword," Kalliel said, turning his eyes to the ocean. "…Woah…"

"What is it?... oh… it starts," Luigi said, spotting the numerous ferries headed for the port. "Word travels fast doesn't it?"

"I suppose it is the difference of whether or not you are here on business that makes you a tourist or not…" Kalliel muttered, scratching at his dark goatee.

The four guys stood captivated by the view from the top of the hill and the balmy winds that brushed over their faces. The sun on the water. Everything was perfect, sheer paradise. They all heaved a contended sigh before heading back to the hotel. Luigi arrived at the front, spotting Marius, Breaker and Hammer.

Marius tried to keep a straight face while the brothers had on huge grins, so automatically, Luigi knew something was up. "Alright, you two, what's going on?"

"We got you something for your birthday, since you forgot!" Breaker chirped, holding out a box. Luigi took it and opened it, casting a quick glance at Marius.

"Oh…w-what is it?" He asked, playing along as he pulled out a coconut bikini top.

"It goes on your head… kind of looks like ears, but it's a helmet kind of like ours! You're gonna need it if you're gonna be fighting bad guys," Breaker said.

_I don't think he's kidding…_Kalliel laughed to Luigi through his mind.

Breaker's smile dropped a bit, "You don't like it do you?"

"Breaker… This is the best gift I've ever gotten," he said with a grin. Breaker and Hammer slapped each other high-fives. The others watched as they happily plodded back to their own rooms.

"Okay, Hammerhead, pay up. I told you he'd like it," Breaker said, slapping his brother on the back of the head.

They waited until the two were gone before bursting into hysterical laughter. "Those two never cease to cheer me up," Luigi chuckled, clutching his sides.

Maverick's tinkling laughter could be heard as he spiraled around the room. "I didn't want to say anything because they wanted to find something 'cool' for your birthday gift," Marius said, taking a few deep breaths.

"You gotta give em points fer trying," Gadd laughed.

Luigi sighed, "Yeah. In this day and age, that sort of innocence really gets to you." His smile dropped a bit when he remembered Mario. "I'll be up in my room." He wandered up the stairs, taking out his cell phone as he went.


	16. Voices in the Night

**Chapter 16: Voices in the Night**

Listening as the phone on the other end of the line rang several times, Luigi began to feel that familiar knot of shy nervousness in his stomach. He hadn't spoken to Mario in over a month; the majority of that time was spent fuming in anger over him.

Finally a chipper voice at the other end piped up, "Hello?"

Luigi paused for a moment, "…Hey, bro."

"Luigi! Thank the stars… I was about to think that you had fallen off the face of-a the earth or something."

Luigi laughed nervously, "…yeah." There was an awkward pause as Luigi flopped down onto his bed in the hotel room.

"Um… Daisy told-a me you were…kinda…upset about me running off like that."

"Yeah, that's true." He paused. "Listen bro, I'm really sorry for exploding like that and I'm sorry for running off in a huff like that and-"

"Woah, woah, woah, Weege!" His brother laughed, "Enough-a already. I think _I _am the one who needs to explain myself. I got a letter from an old acquaintance of-a mine asking for some help. Naturally I accepted, but when I got there… Let's just say I was-a working something out for your birthday."

Luigi felt a heavy throbbing guilt in his stomach. "Mario?"

"Huh?"

"I'm sorry…"

Mario was confused, "for what?"

"I got really…really pissed about you running off and that's why I got mad and ran off…" Luigi said, his voice dripping with hurt.

"Were you-a making furniture float again?" Mario chuckled trying to cheer him up. Luigi forced a small chuckle.

"Hey, don't worry about it. Daisy told-a me all about what's goin' on over there-a. Focus on the task at hand," Mario said firmly, giving his younger twin the reassurance he needed.

Luigi smiled, "Alright… One more thing. I've got a couple things to talk to you about when I get back, kay?"

"Alrighty!" Mario chirped. They said their goodbyes and hung up. Luigi tossed his phone up and down a few times before setting it on the bedside table next to the clock. His face was burning slightly from embarrassment and guilt. At least he felt better about it, now that he had gotten the chance to talk to him. After a few minutes, Luigi fished his suitcase out from under the bed and popped it open, removing the Key, still in its scabbard, and to his surprise- the large black, leather-bound book with the triquetra on the cover.

"I don't remember packing this thing," he muttered.

"That's because it's attached to you, it's going to go wherever you do," Kalliel stated, appearing several feet away in the middle of the room. Luigi jumped in surprise, clutching his heart. "Wha? I… don't do that!" Luigi exclaimed, opening the front cover and seeing the original four lines of writing that had appeared to him and the professor the day he met Kalliel:

_Um Vitam Habeant_

_Give them life_

_The priory has returned_

_Long live the royal family…_

The priory. Some sort of organization he was supposed to be in charge of. Well, it was similar to what he was already doing: He was the princess' personal escort, diplomat, and somewhat of a secret-keeper; the only really major difference in Luigi's mind was the fact that he would have to dress in a surcoat and carry around a large pointy object. At least, that was what he thought.

He spent the next several minutes scanning over points of interest he found in the 'handbook.' Maybe if there was time in the morning, he would be able to fit some magic and fencing practice in. He highly doubted it, though.

"Hey, Kalliel? Do you think if we get a bit of spare time, you could show me how to wield water elementals?" Luigi asked, skimming over the section on water magi. When clearing out the mansion, he had gotten the chance to play around with the spirits of Ice, Water and Fire, but that was with the aid of the three medals he had found and the poltergust. A few ideas popped into his head. Things he would save for later, of course.

"Of course," the ghostly man replied. "I'd be more than happy to lend a hand wherever it is needed." Luigi sat on the bed for another few moments before closing his eyes. It was a great time to practice something, so he picked his levitation skills, seeing as how he had no control over them whatsoever.

Try as he may, however, he couldn't get a grasp on something that angered him. Making up with Mario dissipated any fury he had left. He sighed heavily before giving up and closing the book.

* * *

Later that evening, Luigi and Marius were found wandering along the beach, enjoying a brotherly chat.

"So, you excited about tomorrow?" Marius asked his friend as he darted into the fading surf to grab a large conch shell.

"I just want to get home. I must admit… I'm feeling a bit homesick."

"Hmm," Marius grunted as he carefully cleaned the sand out of the conch shell he found.

Luigi inhaled deeply, enjoying the sunset as various beach-goers relaxed on the pearly sands-tinged orange from the sun. Zoning slightly, he began singing to himself, "Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you got 'till it's gone… they paved paradise and put up a parking lot…"

"Singing to yourself again, Weege," Marius laughed.

"Touché..." Luigi smirked. "I like to sing; relaxes me."

"Hey, I ain't complaining…You should take a show on the road or something," Marius said, as he continued to clean the shell out.

Luigi scoffed. "If I did, they'd say don't come back-" His statement was cut short as a loud trumpeting blast erupted from the conch as Marius blew into it. Luigi fell with a frightened cry onto the sand, arms over his head as the nearby beach-goers did the same. Marius giggled mischievously, "I blame Breaker and Hammer."

"I thought you were the serious, more mature one," Luigi muttered slyly as he picked himself up and brushed the sand off.

"I set the example for them… I never said it had to be a good one," He chuckled. "Come on, Weege. Can't I cut loose once and a while? It's my nature, y'know… I _am_ a Hammer Bro. after all."

"Yeah, yeah…" His voice trailed off as a female's voice was carried to him on the wind. A different one. Not one of the tourist's, but one that seemed oh so familiar to him.

"Luigi?" Marius asked. "What's up?"

"Did you hear that?"

"No…" Marius looked puzzled. "What am I hearing?"

"…Nothing… never mind," Luigi said apprehensively. "Come on, We'd better head back. We need some sleep if we're going anywhere tomorrow."

Marius kept the conch shell, and he joked with his Captain as they headed back to the hotel.

"I am not jumpy…" Luigi grumbled as Marius scoffed.

* * *

A breeze fluttered into his room that night. It smelled of flowers, reminding him of his love. But the breeze carried something else with it; the woman's voice from the beach. An ethereal, disembodied sound. Like the cry of someone lost, yet fighting for their life.

Luigi woke up in a cold sweat and looked over at the clock. "2:00 A.M… oh, god…" He groaned, getting out of bed and wandering over to the window. Looking out as he rubbed his eyes, he could see the moon reflecting off of the sea, a few grey clouds drifting on the breezes, but for the most part, nothing was down there.

A shiver ran down his spine as the voice sounded again. No words could be made out, but he could tell it was a cry of some sort. He began shivering. The hero in him told him to go investigate, but his own conscience told him not to. These two facets had been quarrelling a lot lately, but he was tired of listening to his more cowardly active conscience. So, doing what his heart was telling him to do, he sifted through his suitcase until he found the silver short sword and, careful not to wake Maverick, slid on his shoes and made his way over to the window.

Making sure his weapon was secure, he threw one leg out of the window, steadied himself and looked down casually. If there was one thing he didn't fear, it was vertigo. With a leap, he threw himself into the night air, relishing the feel of freefalling as he went. He reached out at the last minute, concentrating as he slowed his descent magically. He landed with a light flip, brushing himself off as if nothing had happened before looking up the side of the mountain to the darkened reservation fence.

The female voice called out to him again, coming from the mountainside. Luigi took off at a brisk jog up the street towards the reservation. Maybe it was coming from the woods just outside of the fence. Just before he got to the darkened reception lobby, he veered off the road to the left, down a small path that led into a large group of trees. Cursing his luck, he grumbled to himself about not bringing a flashlight before slowly setting off down the trail, drawing the slivery blade as he did so.

He wandered about for about half an hour before he began feeling his eyelids grow heavy. Still, the voice spurred him on. It was calling to him; that much he could discern. Satisfied that he hadn't found anything dangerous, he sheathed his weapon and trudged on. It didn't take long for a deep feeling of dread to form in the pit of his stomach. A loud SNAP behind him caused him to quickly draw his sword and whip around. The triquetra mark between his eyes flared to life defensively, casting a tiny amount of light in front of his gaze, for what he saw in front of him almost caused him to scream.

Standing on all fours, a huge black beast stood menacingly, eyeing him. Clouds of shadow swirled about its legs while its eyes, gold as two coins glittered in the shadows. Its lips were pulled back into a snarl as two tentacle-like ribbons of shadow undulated from its shoulders.

Luigi raised the Key defensively. This…thing looked like something straight out of a horror movie. As Luigi slowly tried to back away, the beast leapt onto him with a venomous snarl. With its massive paws pinning his shoulders to the ground, Luigi began trembling, realizing that there was no getting out of this one. The beast brought his face close to Luigi and spoke in a hollow voice, "Too bad, child… I was expecting more of a fight," he spitefully breathed in the hero's face, sending a blast of hot, moist air into his face that smelled strongly of rotten meat. Luigi struggled not to gag, and continued to tremble as the creature raised a taloned paw to strike him.

Luigi closed his eyes in fear as the mark on his forehead grew brighter. Wondering why the beast was hesitating, he opened his eyes and saw that it was using its paw to shield its eyes. Luigi took that precise moment to plunge the Key into the paw on his shoulder. An unholy shriek filled the air as it ripped its paw off of Luigi and flailed about, trying to pull it out of its paw, only managing to shove it all the way through. Giving up, the beast took the hilt in its teeth and flung the dagger away before bolting back through the woods and over the fence.

Luigi lay panting for a moment before he sat up, massaging his shoulder. The light emanating from his forehead faded and he groped about for the Key. He finally found it, much to his relief and picked himself up.

"That couldn't have been the voice…I just know it…" He muttered to himself as he wandered back onto the main road. He walked back to the hotel in silence, back to the wall in front of his window, seven stories up. He looked up, at that moment; a soft breeze caressed his cheek, accompanied by the voice. Whoever it was, they were calling to him.

Luigi managed to make it up to the room with a quick run up the wall. Living in the mansion with four floors, he had gotten used to constantly jumping in and out of high windows. This wasn't any different.

He hopped through the window, wandered over to his bed and collapsed; he drifted off to sleep, casting one last glance at the clock: 3:00 A.M.

Only a few hours later did his buzzer go off. He shook himself awake, grimacing as he rubbed his sore neck and shoulder. He had completely forgotten about last night. What in the hell was that thing?

Quickly changing clothes, he began sliding on his shoes when his cell phone began ringing. He picked it up and, much to his relief, it was the lady from the ranger station calling to tell him that the ranger had come in early this morning. Luigi bade his thanks and hung up. He quickly made his way to the door, forgetting his injured shoulder.

"Gyah…" He grimaced as he reached out to open the door. "Oh no…" he sighed, "I just hope no one notices this." He gingerly rubbed it as he stepped out into the hall. Keeping it close to his side, he hurried down the hall, pounding on his friends' doors.

"Get up everyone, time to go!"

Syrup rubbed her eyes as she emerged from her room, dressed in fine corsair adventurer's clothes. "What's all this now? Oh, Luigi!" She called as the young man skidded to a halt. "I don't think a normal shirt, shorts and shoes will be the best things to wear on our little excursion, hm? Wait here, hon." Luigi, keeping his smarting arm close to his side, wandered over to her door. She returned carrying a parcel of familiar clothing.

The maids delivered these to my room by mistake. She handed over his pirate garb. "If I do say so myself, they did a mighty fine job cleanin' 'em. See? They even fixed all the holes up. Luigi nodded and winced slightly as he extended both arms and accepted his garb. Syrup pretended not to notice the quick flash of pain that went across his face.

He quickly went to his room to change as the small company of soon-to-be adventurers wandered down to the dining room to stock provisions. Slipping silently into his room, he changed his pants, slipped on his boots and removed his shirt to get a better look at his arm. He stood near the mirror and examined it. Sure enough, a large bruise covered the area where the beast had pinned him. He hustled to the washroom to gather some bandages and quickly tried to dress it; finding that it had become difficult to do with only one arm.

A noise behind him startled him and he cursed as he dropped the roll of gauze. Kalliel had appeared behind him; decked in surcoat and armor. "I knew you left last night… what happened?" Luigi turned to face him with a stoic face before telling of everything that happened. How he heard the voice on the beach yesterday and again that evening, about the black beast.

Kalliel stiffened as the young man explained it to him. "Have a seat; I'll help you with that arm. As he tightly bandaged Luigi's shoulder, he went about explaining a few things to the young man. "That 'thing' was a Manticore. Kamek's hellish lackeys."

"There's more than one?" Luigi asked, a note of panic in his voice. He grunted out an 'Ow…' as Kalliel tightened the bandage and tied it off. With a bit of difficulty, he slid the black pirate's shirt on and tucked it in before slipping the green dragon-skin vest over it. Kalliel quickly fashioned a makeshift sling for his arm out of a length of leftover gauze. "There's three. And you'd do best to steer clear of those things, lad."

"Hm…" He grunted as he examined Luigi's shoulder. "You were pretty damned lucky not to have gotten your arm completely ripped off, my lad…" He sighed once before continuing. "Very lucky. How's it feel?"

"Better," Luigi admitted. He grabbed a small pack that carried the book and a variety of other things before strapping the key to his waist. "Well… let's get a move on. Thanks, by the way." As he headed down the stairs, Maverick appeared beneath his green hat with a 'chirrup'. As he pulled out his cell phone, he looked up to the little one.

"Well, good mornin' scout," he beamed at his little comrade. He dialed the number and area code of the castle and listened as it rang twice before being answered by Toad. "Hey Toad, get me Peach, will ya'?... Hey Peach. We're heading up now… give everyone my regards."

After a few more seconds of conversation, he hung up and walked into the lobby, where his small crew awaited him. Ignoring the looks of surprise at his arm, he glanced at each member of the company: Marius, Hammer, Breaker, Syrup, the Bosun, two of Syrup's crewmen, and Professor Gadd. Kalliel went and stood with the others while Maverick seemed content to sit up in his hat, peering comfortably out from below the hat's brim. "Ready guys?" He asked, setting off towards the door.

They walked wordlessly up to the ranger station. When they were about twenty feet from the door, Breaker tugged on Luigi's sleeve.

"Yes?"

"What happened?" He asked, pointing to his arm. Luigi paused uneasily. "I…had a little trouble last night… I fell out of bed and landed on it the wrong way. Nothing serious, I assure you."

This seemed to satisfy Breaker as they walked through the sliding doors into the cool lobby and up to the reception desk, where the pretty koopa girl sat, typing at the computer. "Mornin'!" She chirped.

"Hi!" Luigi returned.

"Hold up just a sec, champ. Just let me get your guide out." She pushed a small call button and from out of a hallway stepped a stately Koopa dressed completely in Khaki with hiking boots and a shock of blonde hair atop his head.

"G'day," He stated, offering an outstretched paw. "Th' name's Miles. Miles Corwin, at y' service, mate."


	17. Determination

A/N: Thanks for all your lovely reviews; they've been much appreciated; now some answers to a few comments:

**dArkliTe-sPirit: **Yup Corwin. This guy's flat out, my tribute to good ol' Steve Irwin, god rest his soul. And Corwin sounded like Irwin (plus I like Jeff Corwin)

**Blue-Firey: **Sorry for the wait, but you've got to bear with me, I'm only a junior in high school and I've been swamped lately. Don't worry, I've gotten more inspiration, so hopefully, thing's will go a whole lot quicker.

**Ninjamuffin13:** Yes, Rest in peace Steve. Miles is my tribute character, hope I get his personality close. Thanks for reading!

Now, one last note. Do not get angry with the way I did Miles' accent. I tried. Oh well, if it isn't perfect, it isn't perfect.

* * *

**Chapter 17: Determination**

Pyewacket didn't know what to do. Several days of wandering had left him battered, bruised and trailing a broken wing behind him. He frowned sourly. The six islands that made up the Tortuga archipelago were all separated by a narrow channel of water flanked by cliffs. The steep, rocky cliffs had been hell to attempt to cross as he made his way over from the upper left flipper island, but he had managed to do it, breaking his wing in the process. He stopped at the base of a large tree at the edge of the woods and looked out across the large field that spanned the 'shell' island. He settled down to preen the wing. Every so often, his eyes would fasten themselves to the beginnings of another forest. He knew well enough to stay away from those trees; there was another tribe of yoshis over there. Each Island had a different clan. He was the prince of them all… at least, he used to be, but that wouldn't change the fact that he was out of his territory.

Looking up, he slowly stuck out his long tongue and pulled a mango off of a tree and into his mouth. He chewed it a few times, swallowing disdainfully before wincing. Oh, how his wing ached him. He had long since discarded the trinkets and feathers that had been sign of his rank. Though still a 'fledgling,' he was still a force to be reckoned with. About as big as a normal yoshi, he could easily overpower any prey he chose on the island; he could not, however, tangle with a full grown warrior from another tribe. Ex-prince or not, he would be killed within minutes if he wandered too close.

He furrowed his brow. "Pyewacket no fool… make-a alla tribes see dat I true warrior prince," he snarled, seizing a hanging vine and snapping it. He then proceeded to secure both of his wings to his back, out of any more harm. He couldn't fly anyway, what with a broken wing adding to it, it wasn't any use. After much difficulty, he finally had his wings secured. He briskly wiped a few tears of pain from his eyes, "warriors no cry…"

He looked back up to the mango tree and gobbled down several more of the large fruit before turning his eyes away from the far-off tree line to the plains. Now that he was on the shell Island, he would have more room to train himself. He set off at a hobbling run always staying close to the tree-line. He ducked into the trees and doubled back along the canyon between the upper left flipper and shell islands.

He would find some way to regain his honor. After all, it _was_ partially his fault that the creatures attacked, and as former prince, his strong sense of nobility and pride was not about to let that go unpunished.

* * *

At that same moment, Luigi and his companions were found meandering through the brush of the forest. Miles, out in front, hacked vegetation away from the beaten path, explaining the misfortunes that had befallen their archipelago.

"Y'see, this used to be a noice place. We could go visit th' local troibe whenever we wanted. Y'see, somethin' happened a few weeks ago… and, well… they've kept to themselves. Croikey… it's been a right ol' mess." Miles stopped and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Oi think this'll be the perfect spot to stop for a breather, eh?" He chortled, sitting himself down on a rock.

Luigi casually cleaned his blade of any remnants of foliage before sheathing it and following suit. He took his arm out of his makeshift sling and exercised it for a few minutes while the Hammer Bros. dug out some provisions.

"Hey Miles, how much farther?" Breaker asked, taking a bite out of a small dinner roll. As the food bag was passed around, each person took what they wanted; trying to finish off the surplus.

Miles looked up at the forest canopy before taking a swig from a bottle of mango tonic. "Few more hours o' straight hiking and we should be at the camp."

"You're a native to this island right?" Marius calmly asked.

"Yep!"

"Then, can you tell us more about these creatures? Just what are we up against?" Marius asked, digging through the bag before passing it on to Luigi.

Miles paused, thinking. He popped a piece of candied fruit into his mouth before answering. "Mmm, I dunno really, my boy. Y'see, there are three of 'em. Big black things wiv claws sharp enough to shatter stone," he talked as he chewed. "'Scuse my manners," he chuckled, swallowing. "'S Why I carry this knife…," He stated, taking out the Bowie knife from its holder at his side. He twirled it expertly before slipping it back in its scabbard. "Better to be safe than sorry…"

"Have you seen these things?" Gadd asked.

"Nah… sadly. But, I've heard that somthin's been going on with the royal family," he muttered, jerking his thumb over his shoulder in the direction they were heading. "Not just that, the entire troibe's in an uproar…" His tone grew serious, "Wonder why I'm the only guide left?"

They all nodded. Miles frowned, "Because I'm not gonna sit 'ere and watch these beautiful creatures be destroyed by these monsters! The Yoshi's on this island are me passion an' there's no way Oi'm lettin' em down!" By now he was standing, dramatically clenching his fist, fire alight in his eyes. Something dawned on him. "Wait a minute… Are…are you all going to try and save 'em too?"

"Something to that effect…" Luigi murmured.

"Oh dear, I sense a long story, eh?" He winked at the young man. "Tell it, we're almost there, I think we can afford to waste a few minutes."

Gadd elbowed Luigi smartly, giving him the okay to tell the story. So he began; Maverick sat in his friend's lap, devouring a small island-fruit tart hungrily with small squeaks. Syrup and the Bosun listened intently as Luigi recalled everything that had happened. The entire time, Miles politely listened, deeply interested in the young man's tale.

Luigi told him about the prophecies, about Kamek, about the Spirit Palace beneath Mushroom City, even about the voyage from Rougeport to Tortuga port. When he was finished, Miles cleared his throat, "Well. That's an interesting tale of woe, y'got there lad."

There was a pause. "Well, I'd be glad to help you." Miles was back on his feet, looking more determined than before. Luigi had immediately liked this guy from the moment he saw him. That 'gung-ho', boisterous personality gave them all hope. Now that Miles knew they were looking for the Sword of Lazarus, he seemed to be more interested in this adventure than ever.

"Those creatures were Manticores," explained Kalliel solemnly. "They are not to be trifled with… we may be up against more we can handle." The party was silent. Once again, Miles' enthusiasm won their determination and they decided to go. "Then we'll just be careful then won't we," he beamed.

They cleaned up and set off again, Miles speaking with Luigi. "Your story struck me something awe-inspirin.' The chieftain of the Yoshi's had a sword in his possession. Dunno if it's the one you're lookin' for, but if it is, he's not gonna give it up easily."

"I know…" Luigi sighed, removing the sling from around his neck. His arm had healed enough since they had set out yesterday. That had been an apprehensive march. He had been unsure of whether or not he wanted to go through with it, but once again the hero in him ruled out and courage shone through.

Last night in their camp, he had heard the woman's voice calling as they fell asleep around the campfire. Luckily, he managed to get to sleep, but he was eager to find out where it was coming from.

They wandered on through the day, the warm, late fall air buffeting them with balmy breezes as they continued to clear vegetation from the path.

"Agh," Miles grunted, hacking at a large vine with his knife, "Croikey! Ever since these problems happened, nobody's been brave enough to come up and do trail maintenance…"

"Hey, waitaminute…" Hammer said, "If everyone had to flee, why did you?"

"They made me… boss's orders," A mischievous grin appeared on his face, "Technically, I'm not supposed to be here, but…eh," he shrugged, turning his attention back to the trail. "Oi don't like following rules," he said, giving them a quick wink.

Luigi continued hacking away, doing what he could to help.

After a few hours of trail-blazing, they arrived exhausted at a small clearing. Panting, Miles held up a hand to signal them to halt. He mopped the sweat from his brow and ran a paw through his blonde hair before taking a deep breath. He strode forward into a small clearing, motioning for the others to follow. Syrup said nothing; the Bosun drew his scimitar.

They gathered around Miles. "Drop your weapons," he whispered in a commanding tone. The Bosun returned his sword to his side with a confused look. "Stay close," Miles commanded.

"What's wrong?" Syrup questioned, sensing that they were not alone; Luigi too.

"We're being monitored." Miles raised his arms over his head as a large dinosaur stirred in the undergrowth. Luigi let out a sharp gasp as it wandered into the clearing, pointing its spear down at the travelers.

"We do not mean any harm…" Miles said carefully. The raptor raised his spear and slammed the butt of the shaft into the ground. Several more large yoshis appeared, seizing them all by their arms.

"Captain!" Miles barked, "What's wrong?" He stared at the enormous orange yoshi with a look of surprise.

"Bad times," He hissed, baring his razor-sharp teeth and spreading his large, white wings in agitation. "I know you, friend… but they, I do not!" He turned and began plodding away, the company being effortlessly carried behind him by his guards. Even Kalliel had allowed himself to be captured.

He looked over at his young apprentice, who was struggling against the iron-like grip of his captors. "Save your strength Luigi, they do not trust us for a reason." Luigi panted as he stopped squirming. Maverick peeped out from under his hat, snarling angrily.

"Agh…" Luigi gasped as pain seared through his sprained shoulder. "Maverick… no, Agh… don't show any hostility…urk. It-It'll only make it worse."

Professor Gadd gritted his teeth at the sight of Luigi in pain. He knew his shoulder was in bad shape, but the iron grip on himself was enough to cause some groaning as well.

Wincing, yet trying desperately to ignore the pain, Luigi looked at the yoshis that carried him in their hands. Tribal tattoos adorned their arms and faces. Their fingers and toes were each tipped with an ebony talon, bearing grim similarity to the ones the Manticores had. A mane of wild red hair flowed down their neck ridge like fire; different from the standard yoshi neck stubs. As for their bodies, they were sleek, powerful, actual dinosaur-like instead of the type he was familiar with of a standard yoshi. They continued to carry them for several minutes.

By the time they reached the tribe's camp, Luigi's vision was almost black from pain. He felt himself fall abruptly onto the ground. His vision returned from its tunnel and he found himself in front of a large wooden building, eloquently built and adorned with a manner of different shells, feathers and carvings. The hut itself was beautiful, obviously, something fit for a king.

In the entryway stood a huge winged yoshi; forest green in color. He wandered forward, the flames from the central camp fire cast flickering shadows on his face, exaggerating his exhausted features.

"State ye names," he commanded wearily.

Each person said their name.

"Miles Corwin."

"Luigi Mario."

"Garblblah!" Maverick warbled.

"Marius Slater."

"Hammer and Breaker Mucavele."

"Elvin Gadd."

"Kalliel Drago."

"Syrup… I'm not giving my last name, and this is my Bosun." She nodded to the heavily muscled desert-man beside her.

"I am Osman, Chief of dis particular tribe, king of de island." His hawk-like eyes fixed on the younger Mario brother. "All rise and enter my hall, please." He turned with a final order to his guards. "Bring food and drink, then leave us be." He motioned for the large orange-scaled Captain of the Guard to enter as well.

"I didn't know your last name was Drago," Luigi stared at the knightly specter. Kalliel smiled, "There are a lot of things you don't know about me, my friend."

They all seated themselves upon the soft grass 'nests' that lay on the floor as the chieftain settled himself down with a rustle of his wings.

"Luigi," he murmured. The young man perked up.

"Do you still 'ave in your possession… a letter?"

"uh… yes sir." He said, rummaging through his knapsack with one arm. The other was still numb from the rough handling. He retrieved the thick parchment envelope and handed it to the chieftain.

"Several weeks ago, I sent dis lettah calling for help." His countenance softened. "I am glad you made it safely," he acknowledged the brother.

"I am here to help." Luigi nodded, using his knowledge of royal courts to assert himself. "What is it that troubles you, my lord?"

"No doubt you've seen de black creatures dat roam dese islands?" Luigi nodded. "Dey are not de problem." He paused as food was brought to them.

A large roast island deer was brought to them, around that, bowls of salad and fruit were placed. Wooden bowls full of a fruity drink were placed before them as plates of raw and cooked vegetables were set. The servants vacated the tent, leaving the group alone. "Eat." Osman gently commanded. The three Hammer Bros. graciously dug into everything as the humans helped themselves at a slower pace.

"De problem came several weeks before dat lettah was sent. My clan's shaman passed on to the realm of de stars, may his soul rest een peace… 'Is son took ova'… an' it 'as not been de best of times. 'E lacks focus." The chief sourly spooned a mouthful of fruit into his mouth and swallowed before continuing. "Anyway… my guards noticed strange behavior comin' from 'im. 'E would often lie in a trance for days at a time, 'e would 'ave strange panic attacks. To make mattahs worse, 'e became sickly. 'E had always been a sickly child, but dees times? Eet's amazing 'e isn't dead."

Luigi listened intently, looking around at the various trophies on the yoshi lord's walls. "Den… De black monstahs came…" His voice became choked. "My son, Pyewacket was de only one on guard duty… being that… 'e was banished after me village was destroyed. We rebuilt, but I do not know what's become of me son…" He was silent as he downed a few mouthfuls of food. "Dis was a few weeks ago…" The captain of the Guard sat on his left, silent

"If you have truly come to aid our cause… You will rid my islands of dis terrible curse!" Osman said dynamically. "I apologize for our rough handling of you and your friends. Since our misfortunes, we have not placed any trust within anyone. So, we don't let visitors up to our village."

"It's okay. I will do what I can. But I don't have any leads," Luigi said, loading his plate up with more meat.

"We will go visit the shaman in de morning. For now, enjoy comforts, newfound friends. Celebrate, for dere is still hope for my people!" He smiled down at Luigi who bowed respectfully, "I thank you for your kindness and hospitality." He thought for a moment. "Perhaps if I located your son while I'm here, it would help ease relations between you and the port-dwellers."

Osman laughed and clapped the young man on the back. "I like dis boy, so full of fire! You must be a blessing from de stars!" He went back to his food, gulping down fruit and meat.

Kalliel sharply nudged Luigi in the ribs. He looked at him, slightly annoyed when he noticed Kalliel motioning to something on the wall. In the torch lit chamber, Luigi's eyes fell upon a glittering object hanging on two pegs. A large sword with a polished black stone set into the elaborate pommel.

He let his fork drop with a clatter. There hung the Sword of Lazarus. He had found it at last.


	18. Fate

A/N: Wow, I've just been cranking 'em out, huh. It's been a good week. Here you go, and thanks for the reviews!

**Chapter 18: Fate**

Luigi gaped open mouthed at the glittering weapon on the wall. Chief Osman noticed this and smiled, "Ah, you like?"

"Where did you get that?" Luigi asked slowly. Osman looked around at the others in his midst, taking notice that the looks on both Kalliel and Syrup's faces matched Luigi's.

"Hm?" He asked, utterly baffled. "I found dis many years ago. Stuck in a rock Nort' of 'ere…" The corners of his mouth twisted ever so slightly into a confused frown. "Why is dis?" He paused, remembering the story Luigi had just told him. A deep chuckle rumbled from his cavernous chest. "Ohh, I see, I see. Dis be de sword you seek, hm?"

Luigi bit his lip. "Not to be rude, but… yes… You see-"

He was cut off as a guard appeared in the doorway. "Beggin' ye pardon, sah!" He saluted. "But de shaman ees 'ere to see you." He bowed and stepped off to the side to allow a thin, sickly black yoshi wander in.

Luigi raised an eyebrow in surprise. This was the Shaman? Though he could tell that this newcomer was young compared to the Chieftain, he appeared withered and aged, his wings were in terrible condition and he leaned heavily against a gnarled staff. His talons were unclipped, scales dim and scraggly, and his red horse-like mane lay against his neck in mats.

Luigi gave a quiet gasp as a sudden wave of nausea overtook him. Once this yoshi had entered, the entire dwelling filled with the stench of rotten flesh. Luigi swallowed a few times, averting his gaze, desperately trying to force his gag reflexes down. A quick glance around the room revealed everyone else doing the same.

"Ahh…Nardis…" The Chief coughed, waving the stench away from his nose. "Any bettah?"

The black yoshi gave several racking coughs into his paw, "No…" He looked at Luigi. "I…heard tell of our new arrival." He looked down with hollow eyes at Luigi, who surprisingly, found himself glaring at the shaman. _Why am I doing that? _He asked Kalliel.

_I don't know, but something's not right with this creature…_

"Charming," He sneered. Extending a gnarled paw, he grabbed the chief and whispered harshly into his ear. "Come with me, my lord…" He exited the tent. Osman looked to his guests, who were all gasping for breath as the reeking scent left the room.

"Oh, my god!" Gadd coughed.

"I think I've lost my appetite…" Luigi said, pushing his plate away.

"Excuse me…" The chief bowed, following his shaman.

Luigi, taking several deep breaths of sweet oxygen stared out of the doorway in the direction the two had gone.

* * *

"You… cannot place trust… in these outsiders…" The shaman, Nardis, wheezed, "We… can't afford another problem like we had earlier. Your son… had to be… thrown out because he let those things into the village… Turn these outsiders away, my lord… my…omens show nothing but destruction and ruin, should they…stay…" 

The chieftain furrowed his brow and wrinkled his nose in thought. "I cannot…"

"You would go against… the omens!?!" Nardis asked in shock.

"I sense no evil in dese travelers. Who knows? Maybe dey be de ones who will save our island."

"That one in green wants your treasure…that's all. He'll take it and run, leaving our tribe to… fall to ruin," He wheezed.

"Nonsense. Dey just got here… Besides, I sense great tings about this boy and 'is friends. A good chieftan must sometimes trust 'is gut instinct," Osman stated in finality.

"But the omens-" Nardis started.

"I… don't care!" Osman growled. Ever since this yoshi took over the village shaman position from his late father, there had been nothing but 'bad omens' this and 'ruin and destruction' that. On top of all things, this sickly little yoshi had always been one who was known to seek attention by any means. How the council managed to allow him into such a status remained beyond the wizened ruler's imagination. He had had enough of this attitude. Luigi and his friends were there to help, and that was final.

"As long as I'm de ruler of dis tribe, dey will stay." Osman snorted once, signaling that the conversation was over. His tail was slowly swiping back and forth, giving the signal that he was getting angry. He disappeared back into the hut where his guests were waiting.

Nardis leaned against his staff fuming. He had managed to persuade the guards to get rid of the prince by making up a story that he had let the beast waltz on in, but getting rid of the younger Mario brother was going to take a lot more than tantrums and exile. He bared his teeth in a growling grin. "You have something that I want, Boy…" He muttered, staring through the tent. "You won't leave this island…alive…" His thoughts were interrupted as he began a fresh wave of rattling coughs. Harder and harder they came as they racked his fragile body. He coughed into his paw, before leaving the plaza.

* * *

"…Metinks that the meeting with the Shaman won't be necessary, since you just saw 'im. An' 'e don't tink to 'ighly of ye…" Osman muttered, waving for a couple of his servants to take the leftover food away. 

"Back to business…" He called a few more guards over to him and ordered them to show the rest of the travelers to a dry cabin for the night. He ordered that Luigi stay as everyone left the thatched roof hut. A smile pulled at his mouth, lightening his expression.

"Come…" He beckoned with a clawed paw for Luigi to follow him. They exited the hut and wandered through the village, stopping every now and then as Chief Osman talked with him. Friendly banter, mixed in with the various legends. Luigi greatly enjoyed the conversation; mythology always being one of his favorite things.

He found himself smiling as Breaker and Hammer ran giggling past with a few young fledglings of the tribe; Maverick barked as he followed closely behind them. Marius and Kalliel sat together by one of the numerous campfires, exchanging stories with a seasoned warrior, as shown by the trinkets, tattoos and feathers that adorned his scales and mane.

Luigi followed the warrior chief through the camp and up to the top of a large ridge. Luigi, slightly out of breath, let the cool breeze brush his face before turning slowly around, taking in the spectacular view. He could see the whole Island from up here. On the side away from the camp, he could see expansive forests, wide plains and rocky crags jutting out over the sea.

"Wow," he mused, looking down at the camp. A hundred tiny fires glittered at the base of the cliffs, about two hundred to two-hundred and fifty feet below.

"Impressive, no?" Osman laughed, straightening himself up to his full height. Luigi looked up at him- he towered over the young man, being about twice as tall as Luigi from the ground to the tip of his head. "It 'as always been de duty of de chieftains to protect dis wild and beautiful land. Wit' de arrival of dese monstahs… I fear de worst for my people unless we do something. You see, several weeks ago… dey attacked my village in de dead of night. It was… frightening."

Luigi was silent, his face plastered with a look of pure concern.

"My son was nowhere to be found… Dey came into de village like black lightning. Killed some of me best fighters… We tried to fight back but… our weapons did noting to harm dem…" Osman said these last few words in shock, eyes widened as he remembered that day vividly. His wave of shock passed and he laid down on his belly, looking at Luigi. "I sent dat lettah a few weeks before dat day, because my shaman told me of de darkness dat would plague mah land. As King of dis island, I cannot allow anymore of my people to die… you must know dis. Dat is why you are 'ere… You and yer bruddah's reputations precede you." He grinned.

The last vestiges of red and orange from the setting sun disappeared as it dipped below the horizon. Luigi felt a strong urge to speak at that moment. "Yeah…" He sighed, "We've got to try and protect this land, no matter how big or small our roles in the cosmos are."

Osman smiled, "You're a smart man…for one your age." He stood up, stretching his powerful legs. "Yes… Wise for one beyond his years," he said quietly. Luigi removed his hat, scratching his head as the breeze continued to blow across his face. Inhaling deeply, he gazed out over the island. Down on the shore, the glittering gem of Tortuga's port shone up from the sands.

Before they left, Osman left some words of wisdom in the young man's head. "Dis whole world contains a rugged beauty," he told him, "You were right! We need to do anyting we can to preserve it. I trust you Luigi." He gave Luigi a hearty pat on the back. "You will be honored in the highest way if you rid our island of dese beasts."

"…" Luigi said nothing, only gave an uneasy smile. Osman took this as enough of an acknowledgement and continued on, his great loping strides slowed to accommodate for Luigi. Honor and glory weren't really the things he wanted. They had never been. Maybe at the start of his adventure that was case. But that fervor had long since died out, now all he wanted to do was find out who he was, what lie in wait for him. He was on the verge of discovering he and his brother's past. Luigi smiled to himself; he truly was on a quest…one that would take a very long time to complete.

Before they reached the camp, the sound of the woman's voice reached his ears. Now louder than ever. Luigi stopped, a set look of concentration on his face. Osman, curious to his new champion's lack of speed, turned to face him.

The words in the voice were still incomprehensible, but Luigi, now more determined than ever, knew he was almost there; almost to the point where he could find out what they were exactly. He shook his head, signaling nothing was wrong as he continued on.

What everyone said was true, he had changed. He certainly felt stronger, both emotionally and physically, but most of all, he felt as if he had a place. An actual role to play in fate, not just someone doomed to wave from the sidelines. He made a promise to himself then; a promise that he would finish out this mission, no matter what. Everyone depended on him, and he wasn't about to let them down.

* * *

The beds they lay on that night were of soft grass, gentle and fluffy to the touch, while the blankets were nothing more than a large, light fur. True, it was beginning to get chilly at night, even this deep in the tropics. The travelers all shared the same cabin. While everyone lay chattering happily amongst themselves, Luigi lay on his back, arms crossed beneath his head, thinking. A few small candle-like torches sat on the floor near their beds, bathing the interior in a soft yellow light. 

A small pebble bounced off Luigi's head, "Hey!" Gadd said, jarring his thoughts. "What'cha thinkin' 'bout, sonny?"

"Stuff."

True, he was thinking about several things at once, the two most prominent thoughts being how he was going to get the sword out of the chief's possession without reverting to dishonest thievery; and wielding water just as easily as he did fire or lightning.

"Well, don't you let that 'stuff' get to ya,' we've got several busy days ahead of us."

"…" With that, Luigi removed his hat and blew out his candle. A chorus of "G'night"s sang as everyone blew out whatever candles remained and fell asleep. Maverick wiggled himself into Luigi's arms and began snoring lightly, his cute squeaks mingled in with the tiny purr. It wasn't long before Luigi felt himself slowly drifting off. The sounds of the camp in the background; the crackling of fires, the laughter and voices of the night watch, all faded into nothingness.

The next few days were spent acquiring information and learning the basics of water elemental magic, which, much to Luigi's disdain, was a lot harder than it seemed. He had gotten the basics of merely moving a small amount of it in a bowl, but could not seem to magic it out into the air.

Kalliel kindly demonstrated once more, showing Luigi with a wave of his hand, how he lifted the entire amount of liquid into the air, seemingly effortlessly. He let it settle back into the bowl. "Go ahead, try one more time. Feel it's prescence, coax it out, don't fight it."

Luigi nodded and concentrated, realizing what his mentor meant by locating the spirit of the water. Once he was sure he had a good grasp on it, he slowly brought his hands up, and much to his surprise, saw it lift slightly out of the bowl. It took a great deal of effort, but he had actually managed to lift it ever so slightly. He let it slosh back into its container with a heavy sigh.

"Well, I actually did it, but… man did it tire me out."

Kalliel helped him to his feet. "You did good. Thank heavens we weren't concentrating just on this." True. The first day and a half were spent focusing on summoning water spirits, something Luigi found easier to do, since he had done it in the mansion. He was amazed at how easily they sprung forth when he called. He surmised that it was from hanging onto the water medallion he had found when cleaning out the mansion.

"Hey Weege!" Hammer called across the camp. "Whaddaya say to a game?"

"Yeah! Take a break, my man!" Breaker chimed in. "We found out they knew how to play soccer!" he gave his leader a wink.

"Boy do I need it." He got up and brushed himself off. "So they know soccer, huh?"

"Sorta!" Breaker grinned at him. "It's a little more…um…Footballish." Luigi grimaced, but finally decided that a good rough-and-tumble game was just what he needed.

Kalliel did the same. "I call goalie," He chuckled.

Their opponents were several young, yet full grown yoshi's. Their faces beamed with excitement as they stretched their muscular bodies.

Chief Osman, delighted at the game occurring in his camp, cleared his throat for the rules. "Rules ah simple. Get de ball into de goal, no hands. If you square off wit anuddah player, throw him outta de way!"

He jumped up onto a large, flat boulder to watch. "Begin!"

Luigi and the three Hammer Bros. smiled, squaring off with the opposing team. Looking down at the ball, he saw that it was made with a tightly bundled ball of firs. Yoshis of all colors, status, and ages gathered around to watch the festivities as Maverick, Syrup and the Bosun cheered at them from the side.

"Allright, guys," The soccer captain murmured to his green-shelled team. "You know the drill…" He trailed off as he faced front.

Luigi grinned, "Float like a Lakitu…"

"…Sting like a Beezo!" Luigi, Marius, Hammer and Breaker cheered, staring the game off.

* * *

An hour later saw both teams scraped, bruised and exhausted. It had been hell for Luigi, seeing as how it took him a few times getting thrown by the opponents before he figured out that it was a mix of soccer, rugby and sumo wrestling. 

Still, he had managed to surprise them all when he finally figured the throwing part out. Squaring off with a robust yoshi, they gripped each other by the shoulders and fought; luckily, Luigi had a better footing and with a powerful yell, he put all of his weight into overbalancing his opponent. Sure enough, the purple youngster was sent sprawling off to the side, leaving the way open for Luigi to score a goal.

Even under those circumstances, Luigi's team had won, and now, it was time for some much needed rest. Dinner was more of a tribal affair that evening, as it had been for the past few days- Outdoor feasts of vegetables and fruit, utilizing any way they could be cooked. Luigi was impressed, for a seemingly tribal community; they were rather advanced, provided what little technology was in their possession.

Luigi sat by Marius and Miles, who were poring over a map of Isla Tortuga.

"See, 'ere we are, roight 'ere," Miles said, pointing to a spot near the north-eastern corner of the flipper island. Luigi examined the map as Miles kept explaining the topography.

"See? On the main oisland, there's these steppes, a large inland lake, a fringe of forest runnin' the western length of the oisland, an' some more heavy forest near the eastern edge. There's a fjord between each of the oislands and each of those has a few thick rope bridges across 'em. Oi know, Oi've walked the length and breadth of this archipelago. Y'see, each of these oislands 'ave there own troibe of yoshis, we've just been in the 'royal colony' so to speak."

"Luigi, have you figured out how we're going to get the sword?" Marius asked under his breath.

"No," Luigi said, taking a bite out of a mango. He looked up to the face of the cliff that served as the backdrop to the village. A few days ago, he had first laid eyes on it and, much to his surprise; it was adorned with massive etchings of what appeared to be a large yoshi. During the daylight hours, he could tell that long ago, it had been painted a vivid blue. On its back was a basic carving of a man holding a sword. Once Luigi set eyes on it, he found that he could spend hours looking at it, wondering if it was him on that yoshi's back or some other knight from long ago. He wasn't sure; the carving's head was adorned with a helm of sorts.

Still, it _was _pretty cool to daydream about.

"I 'ave an announcement!" Osman shouted over the din of the supper. When no one heard him, he grew agitated. "Shut up everybody!!" Immediately the camp grew quiet; the only sounds being the chirping of crickets and the crackle of the great bonfire that was always kept going in the central plaza.

"Seeing as 'ow we 'ave guests with us tonight, we will pass down our tribe's great story down to dem dis evening!" His proclamation was greeted with applause and cheering. Obviously, this was a popular tale.

So the camp again grew silent as the chief beckoned several yoshis to the fire where he stood. They were all of various colors and adorned with many more feathers than the rest of the tribe. "They're troubadours," Miles explained to Luigi out of the corner of his mouth.

So the story started out with the chief narrating as the actors acted it out. Minutes passed by quickly as the story progressed; much to Luigi's surprise, the story was remarkably similar to the legend of the Eidolon knights. Granted the beginning was more tribal, but the entire story consisted of the same elements. The 'great shadow,' the blue yoshi, and 'warriors colored like yoshis', meaning to Luigi the different surcoats each knight wore were of all different colors, depending on each knight's preference. Just like Kalliel, each knight had their own principle color- Kalliel's was blue, the Great Lazarus's was black, and his would probably be green. As he listened, the story took on a lighter tone, but still- each knight that was introduced was always defeated by the black shadow. Some being more successful than others, always being accompanied by a dark-blue yoshi; winged of course. The lighter tone in the story was the fact that as long as the blue yoshis kept appearing, another warrior would come to enlist its aide.

"Eet is said dat yoshi's of dis hue are born only when fate expect a new warrior to appear," Osman stated as he began the end of the tale. By now, the sun had dipped far below the horizon, casting the land once more into night. "As long as blue yoshis appear, dere will always be hope for dis world…" With that all of the actors took a bow and pranced off to scavenge leftovers from the meal. Osman remained, looking somewhat forlorn.

Luigi sighed, mulling over the two versions of the legends before taking one last glance at the carved Cliffside. True, the yoshi dwarfed the human atop its back, but the entire picture instilled a sort of calm in him, one of peace and stability. What really amazed him was how close to one another the stories were.

He bid the chief good night, wondering why he looked so crestfallen. Once back inside of the company's designated hut, he leaned over and blew out the candle before curling up on the nest of soft grass.

* * *

Up at the top of the cliffs, out of sight from the village below, paced a large black monster. A Manticore wandered back and forth in front of its relaxing counterparts, stopping every once and a while to lick a small glowing wound on his paw. Lashing the tendrils of shadow that flowed from his shoulders angrily, he growled, wincing at his pain. 

"If you hadn't been so careless with that boy, that wouldn't have happened," One of the resting Manticores said boldly.

With a roar and a lightning fast movement, the other was in front of him, talons across the unfortunate one's neck. "Shut up," he snarled, his lion-like face twisting, revealing his razor-sharp fangs.

"Ow…Judges, let go of me!" The one yelped. The leader, Judges, lifted his paw up slowly; examining the white puncture wound that stood out against his black skin. With a huff, he went back to the Cliffside, peering down at the tiny moving figures below.

"Any sign of the prince?" he asked quietly. The one who spoke remained silent. The other, however spoke up. "None…and he won't be back… he's been thrown out. Let's just get this over with," he grumbled, standing on his feet, golden eyes glowing hungrily, "I'm starving… it's been a while since we've had anything decent to eat."

"That's because they've tightened security since our last 'raid,'" Judges murmured with disdain. "Don't worry," he whispered evilly to his cohort, "just be a little more patient…"

Judges was the leader; strong, sleek and vicious, being easily discernable now that he had a glowing scar running through his right paw. The other two were a lot like him in build, only not as muscular. Still, claws were just as sharp on them all-it was by appearance that they differed.

"Believe me, by breakfast tomorrow… we'll be rid of Master Kamek's little pest, for good…" He stared down at the camp one last time, thoughts of revenge swimming in his head. The young man who gave him that scar with that damned dagger was going to die a slow, painful death. This he swore.


	19. A Friend Indeed

A/N: I'm very happy to see that all of you like this story that much. Everyone gets a cookie. Sorry if this chapter seems a bit choppy, but it shouldn't be too bad.

**Chapter 19: A Friend Indeed**

As the evening wore on into the early morning hours, the guards of the nightly sentinel continued to remain ever-vigilant, every now and then going one at a time to drink some kind of soup from a large stone cauldron. Two of the guards went over to chat.

"Nuting on your end, I hope," the first one said, taking a small wooden bowl and dipping some soup into it.

"Nope…Thank 'eaven dey gave us dis," He nodded to the cauldron, stomach growling. The first one nodded. The second whipped around, spear in hand as he heard a slight scatter of pebbles from near the cliff.

"It's probably de wind, ye too jumpy," The first said, returning to his quick meal. The second said nothing, but stared at the carved cliff face as three small specks slunk directly down the sheer cliff-face like water. Taking in a slow gasp as he watched them hit the ground and materialize, he trumpeted out a warning roar, alerting the village. The first looked at him, soup dribbling from the corner of his mouth as he watched the three Manticores thunder towards them.

"We're unda' attack!" They both bellowed as warriors filed out into the causeways. "We're-…" both of their warnings were cut off as the leader whipped by, slashing them. They fell, dead, to the ground.

"Find the human," Judges growled to his cohorts. They branched out in the plaza, clawing at anything that got in their way.

Luigi, on the other side of the camp was the only one in the cabin who heard the distress call, he quickly woke Marius, Syrup and the Bosun up.

"Come on, get up, something's wrong…" He urged his Hammer Bro. friend awake. Syrup drew her massive scimitar, following Luigi as he grabbed the shining silver dirk and drew it from its scabbard. Stepping out into the early dawn-lit village, the trio slunk about into the shadows, making sure to keep out of sight of the commotion. Sidling against the back of the house, Luigi peeked around the corner into the main plaza, where he saw a black lion-like animal dashing about a group of nimble warriors, dodging attacks from their spears.

He stifled a gasp as he retreated back out of sight.

"What's wrong?" Marius asked, gripping his twin hammers securely by the handles. Luigi raised a trembling finger over his shoulder as he pointed out to the plaza. "Manticores…"

"What?" Syrup asked, sensing the urgency of the situation.

"That's that thing that attacked me the other night…"

"You told us you fell out of bed…" Marius said flatly. Luigi sighed, giving him a firm look, "I didn't want to scare Breaker and Hammer…" Immediately Marius' face softened. "Sorry, I didn't think of that."

"Right, so how many are there?" Syrup asked, counting only two as she peeked around the edge of the hut.

"Three…I only see two…"

Syrup paused, sniffing before covering her nose, "Ugh, who died?" Marius and Luigi stiffened as they turned around to face the bigger of the three. A small glowing scar sat on his right paw as he stood baring his teeth and snarling at Luigi, Marius and Syrup.

"Shit…" Syrup grimaced.

"Run!!!" Luigi yelled. The group split off into three as the Manticore bounded after Luigi. Using his jumps and agility, Luigi leapt up onto the roof of a nearby hut and proceeded to fairly fly across the rooftops as he ran for his life.

"You can't run forever!" It snarled beneath him. Great. All Luigi had managed to do that night when he stuck him with the dagger was piss him off. Wait. The dagger. If that did damage to him last time, then maybe if he got him again, he would leave. It was do or die, he couldn't keep running- he was running out of rooftops.

With a quick back flip, he launched himself the other way.

Judges dug his claws into the earth, stopping when he realized his prey wasn't above him. "Damn…" he sneered, doubling back along the edge of the buildings. His sensitive hearing picked up a rustle from atop one of the thatched roofs. He skidded to a halt just as Luigi dropped from the sky, burying the blade of his silver dagger into the earth. He let go and landed heavily onto the ground.

Judges knocked him sharply away and laughed as Luigi rolled three times before coming to a stop in the dust. He got up and spat, tasting the metallic tang of blood. He wiped his mouth, wincing, as a smear of blood appeared on the back of his hand. Standing tall, but visibly trembling, Luigi stood eyeing the Manticore as it crouched to pounce.

A resounding SMACK sounded and the Manticore slumped to the ground in a daze as a white-marbled hammer thudded heavily to the ground. Marius appeared next to the fallen beast. "You okay, Weege?" He panted, picking up his weapon.

Luigi let out a shaky breath and nodded, "Thanks." He gave his friend a smile. His eyes widened as the Manticore stirred. "Go, get out of here!" Luigi called, taking off at a run to the chieftain's cabin.

Marius didn't argue, and quickly took off at a run the other way. Luigi knew what he was doing; though Chief Osman wouldn't approve, he needed that sword now.

Luigi was lucky, the Manticore had woken up a second too late, for the young Mario Brother was already gone. Judges cursed loudly and bolted back towards the plaza.

Staying close to the houses and ignoring as the guards tried in vain to fight against Kamek's shadow beasts, Luigi made it to the hut and entered. He wandered to the back and froze, his heart stopping for a fraction of a second in panic. The sword was gone, ripped off the pegs.

"Damn it!!" Luigi cried, slumping to the floor. Chief Osman crashed into his hut, obviously looking for the same thing. He froze when he saw the empty wall and Luigi kneeling on the floor.

"Me sword!" He cried. "wh-where is it?"

"Stolen…" Luigi murmured, running his hands through his hair. He drew his dagger and stood. His eyes fell to the ground, where a continuous scratch was in the earth. Whoever had taken it had left a trail that would be easy to find. "I'll get it back," he sighed. He just had to figure out that voice. He had come too far now to let it all go to waste. Luigi gritted his teeth, "Don't tell them where I've gone."

Osman nodded, knowing exactly what he meant.

"I will protect my people from dese monstahs…" With that he took his leave. Outside the tent, Luigi heard the blaring war call from the chief- a loud, trumpeting roar. It stirred deep feelings in him. He paused for a minute, thinking to himself.

The voices were back.

Carried on the wind, the woman's voice returned. A spell. That was what the incoherent words were.

Luigi set his expression; a revelation occurring to him. He was a warrior; one of the two legendary brothers born by prophecy. Yet, as Kalliel had once told him, he was part of a completely different strain of history. What the first knight, Lazarus set into motion, he was supposed to finish. Thinking back to his mother and father, they had been warriors, so it wasn't like he lacked the blood-rite. Wait. He remembered his mother's voice from the vision. His eyes snapped open- that voice in the night belonged to her.

With a deep breath, he set his jaw, grabbed a small bag of crystallized fruit to eat from a bowl on the floor and took off at a run, following the long scratch mark in the earth.

* * *

Judges rounded up his two underlings and retreated to the top of the cliff. "Well, I've lost him…"

The bold one turned his gaze to the ravine between the flipper and shell Islands. "No you didn't…he's going after Nardis."

"What for?" Judges questioned.

"He tried to take matters into his own paws…If you catch my drift…" The bold one, Loky, snickered.

"Did he now?" Judges mulled, "Well, in that case, we'll have _two_ shards to take back to the master." He flicked his scorpion-tail from side to side, its spike humming in the air. The third one, Grym, remained silent, watching as the yoshis down below tended to their fallen.

"What do you want to do?" He growled to the leader. Judges smiled. "I think we'll pay a little visit to the prince." He beckoned that they follow as he made his way towards the gorge.

* * *

Now that the village had quieted down, the tribal warriors could tend to the dead and wounded. Osman plodded through the plaza, looking around. "Not a 'ole lotta damage 'ere dis time…"

"Your highness?" an unsure voice asked behind him. Osman turned, his great tail whipping behind him. Down at his feet, Marius stood, just barely coming up to above his knee.

"Yes, child?" he asked, squatting down to Marius' height.

"Have you seen Luigi?"

Knowing that Luigi wanted to keep where he went a secret from the others, Osman merely said, "He's gone. 'E'll be back soon, don't worry." Marius nodded in understanding.

Off he went to make sure everyone back in the cabin was alright.

* * *

The morning sun beat down harshly upon Luigi as he crossed one of the three massive bridges spanning the ravine between the port island and the aptly named 'Shell Island' of the Tortuga Archipelago. It was a wide bridge, made of planks, held together by large amounts of thick, heavy rope.

Luigi nervously kept his hands on the thick rope guard-rails as he made his way across. The rope had been hardened with resin and as he steadied himself, large flakes of brine came off in his hands. He had made it halfway across, but the sound of the crashing waves far below made his stomach do somersaults.

It was a long fall should one of these bridges break.

He finally made it to the other side, sighting the mark in the earth, and with a quick glance down the ravine behind him, set off at a run. There was still something about that wide trench that separated the islands that awed him- the fjord's deep blue water, perhaps? He wasn't sure and he didn't have time to waste on mundane details like that.

He continued on. After a short while, he lost sight of the scratch in the undergrowth. Groaning in frustration, he slumped down onto a nearby rock and removed his hat, holding his head in his hands.

He sat in silence for a moment, partially from exhaustion, partially to mull things over. He paused. There was that feeling again…the feeling that makes your hair stand on end-he was being watched.

Trying to keep from shaking, he slowly raised his head, taking quiet breaths. Staring out at him from the bushes was a yoshi of a beautiful, deep-blue hue. He was rather small compared to Chief Osman; being one of the fledglings, but nonetheless the size of an average full grown normal yoshi. He ducked out of sight behind the bushes when he realized that Luigi had spotted him.

Feeling relief flood him, He slowly lowered himself to his knees and tried coaxing it out. When words didn't work, his mind wandered to common knowledge of Yoshis- they loved to eat. He removed the small pouch and took a few pieces of the candied fruit out, holding them in his outstretched palm. That seemed to have the desired effect, slowly backing up as the yoshi crawled out of the bushes, licking its lips.

"Here…I don't mean any harm…" Luigi said gently in his soft tenor voice. The yoshi came all the way out into a shaft of sunlight. His scales were of a deep sapphire, well kept, and his talons were polished and sharp. Oddly, his wings were bound up tightly with a vine; Luigi definitely would find out why.

He extended his palm farther, keeping a level of respect; blue yoshis were revered, after all. Its eyes flicked from Luigi's hand to his face several times before it shot its tongue out, taking all of the fruit from his palm. It chewed contently, scanning Luigi for more.

"Wherra alla fruit?" it asked, cocking its head quizzically.

"Do you have a name?" Luigi asked, happy that they were finally getting somewhere.

"…" It paused. "Pyewacket…Me great warrior!" He stamped his claws into the earth. "Big, black-a beasts get Pyewacket in trouble, but he no fool… I go back…make alla dead, save me village." He bared his teeth.

"Trouble?"

"Pyewacket exiled for let'm into village…"

Luigi in his excitement, cut him off slightly, "Then you're…um…Have you seen anything run by here carrying a sword?"

Pyewacket's face turned into one of thought before his eyes flitted down to the pouch of fruit. With a lightning-quick movement, he snatched it out of Luigi's hand with his tongue and took off through the woods.

"Hey!" Luigi exclaimed… Just great… He picked up his hat and placed it on his head before following.

Luigi relentlessly pursued his quarry through the dense undergrowth, acquiring several scrapes on his face. Finally, Pyewacket managed to outrun him, slipping nimbly through the trees. As Luigi stopped to catch his breath, he bent over, hands on his knees and cursed. That had definitely not gone according to plan.

He sat down to think about what to do, and before he realized it, weariness over took him and he passed out.

* * *

Pyewacket didn't stop running until he put about a half-mile between him and his pursuer. He sat down amongst some trees and quickly devoured the contents of the pouch, licking the sugar from his paws. He frowned. His strict upbringing had taught him better than petty thievery, yet he had managed to deceive someone for a bag of food. He tossed the empty bag away disdainfully.

Amongst the trees, he caught sight of a black beast moving about. He growled and leapt up, running after it.

For two short hours, Luigi lay asleep against the tree. He was awakened by an unearthly snarl. He clumsily got to his feet, falling over several times, and drew the Key.

"Who's there?"

"No one of importance…" Judges hissed, showing himself from behind a boulder. He gave a quiet, raspy laugh as he prowled closer to Luigi. "Sorry…But orders are orders…" He grinned, extending his claws. Luigi felt a surge of panic as he backed up against the tree. "No…" He whispered.

"You're not to leave the island…hmm…alive," He licked his lips. "And frankly…" He showed Luigi the white, glowing scar on his paw. "I'm not too keen on being injured by my prey…"

With a roar, he leapt at Luigi, only to be thrown to the ground, temporarily paralyzed. He lay on the ground, twitching slightly as Luigi suppressed any excess electricity in his palm. "Forgive me, But _I'm_ not too keen on letting myself be killed."

"If I were you, I'd run…" Another Manticore said, emerging from the foliage.

"Don't…just stand there, Loky…Kill 'im!" Judges grimaced.

Luigi took off at a run towards the bridges.

"He won't get far… Grym'll take care of the prince… we'll kill two birds with one stone…" Loky spat before taking off after Luigi.

Judges got up as he regained feeling in his body. "We'd better…"

The crash of foliage sounded as Luigi ran from his unseen foe. After running for several minutes, he stopped and listened, hearing nothing but the distant sound of sloshing water. He was near the fjord, the bridges and perhaps, safety. Luckily, a few more minutes of running saw him safely at the start of the large bridge. He grabbed hold of the side and began making his way across.

The bridge gave a shudder when he reached about a quarter of the way across. Luigi, with a gasp, turned to face Loky, his scorpion tail lashing as he hacked away at one side. The abnormally thick rope snapped and Luigi slipped. He wrapped his arms around the other rope, peering over his shoulder at the long drop to the sea as his legs dangled freely.

"What'll you do now, Chosen one?" Loky cackled as he struck the last side of the bridge's securing line. The bridge gave another shudder. Luigi kicked off of the bridge and sailed back to the nearby Cliffside, slipping a bit on the crumbling shale cliff wall. Once he got a good grip, the bridge's last line gave a loud SNAP, before breaking away. Luigi watched as the bridge fell and crashed against the other cliff wall, suspended by the two other lines on the other side. With a large swallow, he reprimanded himself. "Don't look down, don't look down… don't look down…oh damn, I looked down…" He panicked, seeing how high up he was. Loky was crawling over to where he hung.

"Come on, Weege, the others are countin' on you…" He encouraged himself. With a kick and a surge of strength, he launched himself upwards, coming down on top of Loky's shoulders. He leapt off with a flip and doubled back through the trees, not stopping once. Loky growled angrily… He had been so close…

Luigi ran until his sides ached before tripping over an unseen root. He got up and dusted himself off only to have the wind knocked out of him as Pyewacket came plowing out of nowhere into him. The blue yoshi kept barreling on, Luigi clinging to his thick neck.

"Pyewacket! Slow down!" Luigi called breathlessly.

When the reptile gave no response, Luigi twisted himself onto his back between his bound wings. He clung desperately to the fiery red mane as Pyewacket ground to a halt near the cliff's edge.

The young yoshi's sides heaved as he caught his breath. "Norra stop…must-a get away from Black beasts…"

"They're chasing you too?"

"Yah…"

They both sat panting for a moment. Luigi reveled the feel of sitting atop such a proud and powerful beast. He had ridden Yoshi before, but it was nothing like this. Yoshi wasn't as wild as the creature beneath him. When he had been on Pyewacket's back, the beast's gait felt as though they were flying.

"Pyewacket… sorry he took-a alla fruit from Green-man…"

Luigi patted the beast's neck. "It's…It's okay," he panted. "Help me find a sword… and I'll get you back to your village."

"Sward?...hmm… is my fadder's sword, yah?" Pyewacket piped.

"Wha? Oh, yes… then… you're-"

"Prince of-a alla island!" He paused, "Well…used to be…Me been exiled…"

Luigi nodded.

"I'm Luigi, by the way… nice to meet you."

"Weegie help getta Pyewacket back to village?"

"Yeah, I-…Look out!" Luigi yelled as he drew his sword. Two Manticores flew out of the underbrush, piling into the Hero and his steed.

Both Luigi and Pyewacket let out a scream as they plummeted down towards the rocky waters below.

"Wee's gonna dieee!" Pyewacket screamed.

"You've got wings!" Luigi said, slicing the vine off as they fell. The two feathery wings unfurled, arousing a scream of pain from the Prince. "Can't you fly?"

"No! Pyewacket no fly…can't-a fly…Broken wing!"

Luigi noticed how it was sticking out at a weird angle… so that was why he had them bound. The Yoshi floundered about with his wings, trying in vain to slow their descent as they fell down…down…down.

"Hang on!" Luigi yelled, gripping the blue dinosaur for dear life as he took a deep breath and held it. They both hit the water in a plume of spray.

Back on the cliff, Judges and Grym watched as the echoing splash resounded and stilled. The water sloshed around a bit until it stopped. Judges smiled wickedly after no movement disturbed the water other than the channel's waves.

"I don't think he'll bother us anymore, 'ey chief?" Grym muttered smugly.

Judges didn't reply. Merely turning on his heel and lashing his scorpion tail, he plodded back into the jungle. "Never say never…"

Grym stared after his leader and with a final look at the ravine, he followed.


	20. Destiny

A/N: This is the last chapter of 'Book 1'… I'm trying to divide it into three sections, maybe four… but most likely three (Sections, not stories). This is a long, long story. I hope you all are having as much fun reading it as I am writing it. Enjoy! I made this one literally twice as long as a normal chapter since it's the end of Part 1.

* * *

**Chapter 20: Destiny**

Chief Osman pawed the ground nervously. It was too quiet and it had been too long since Luigi had left; the sun was going down.

"Where could he have gone?" Marius asked as he and the professor walked up. Gadd rubbed his arms to fend off the growing chill brought in by the constant sea-breeze. "It's getting cold out; you'd think he'd be back by now."

"Well…we'd better get to bed," Marius said, turning back to the village. "Professor? You coming?"

"Hm? …Ah, later…" He crossed his arms, ending the conversation. Marius wandered back to their cabin, leaving the Professor and the Chieftain alone. Maverick appeared overhead and fluttered down into Gadd's arms, warbling an incoherent question. Gadd said nothing, but patted him on the head.

Kalliel appeared beside them. "Any sign of him?"

"No…" a menacing voice snarled behind them. Grym lay on his belly atop a small boulder, paws crossed, as he stared down at them. "And there won't be any sign of him…"

Kalliel glared, "Go back to your pit, hellhound," he spat.

"Where is Luigi?" Gadd asked calmly.

"He took a little _trip…_" Grym sneered. A loud shot sounded as Gadd pulled out a cross-bow-looking gadget and fired a bolt of electricity. Grym leapt out of the way, yellow almond eyes widened in shock. Gadd aimed carefully. "Now…I'll ask one more time." He loaded in another cartridge of some kind before pulling the trigger back. "Where is Luigi…" the small old man asked slowly, his voice venomously level.

Grym hissed and disappeared into the darkening landscape. Gadd aimed and fired two warning shots from his cross-bow before pulling back on the bolt lock, securing the string.

"Where'd you get that?" Kalliel asked.

Gadd smiled proudly, shouldering it. "I made it a long time ago. It's one of my Gadd-gets," he winked, "the Cross-bolt. Clever, eh? It fires lightning charges out of these energy cartridges. Darn accurate if I do say so myself. The only problem is, my eyes ain't what they used to be… I'm afraid I'm just getting too old," he sighed. His brow furrowed. "You don't think Luigi's…?"

Osman remained silent, swishing his tail to and fro. For the first time, Gadd showed signs of deep concern, dropping his usually calm and level face. Kalliel shook his head slowly. "No…He isn't." He looked down to the tiny professor, "He'll be back. I can still sense him. He's not gone from us yet." He gave Gadd a reassuring smile. The professor's face remained stoic as he gave a single nod and headed back, crossbow on his shoulder, to the village. Kalliel looked back to the large island, reaching out with his subconscious. He found Luigi alive, but dazed and weak. He gave a final nod and headed back.

* * *

By the time the moon had risen, Luigi had washed upon the beach about a mile south of the small channel. He groaned as he turned his head. Pyewacket lay unconscious a few feet beside him, the waves washing over his legs. Luigi turned himself over, coughing up a good amount of sea water in the process.

He crawled over to the blue dinosaur and heaved him out of the water, dragging him up to a drier part of the beach before collapsing weakly into the sand. He didn't notice his hat wash up beside him with the incoming tide.

It was midmorning when Pyewacket awoke. He licked his lips and spat out some salt before standing up and shaking the water and sand from his mane. He hobbled over to Luigi and sniffed him. His friend's eyes were closed, but at least he was breathing. He nuzzled the young man's cheek with his large, soft nose several times before Luigi gave a small groan. Pyewacket gently butted him with his head. "Weegie wake-a up now…" He said quietly. Luigi tried to raise himself up on his arms, but fell back into the sand with a flump. He spat out some grit and licked his dry lips before uttering a single word, "Daisy…"

He began to close his eyes again, the warmth from the sun beckoning him to sleep again. "No no, Weegie!" Pyewacket nosed him again. "Gots to wake-a up, go back to village!" He bent his head down, allowing Luigi to wrap his arms around his neck before picking up the young man. Using his tail, Pyewacket situated his friend between his wings so he wouldn't fall off, picked the green hat up off the sand, and set off at a trot away from the hot, sandy beach.

Plodding through the trees at a steady pace, Pyewacket sniffed at various rocks and trees, Luigi asleep on his back. He finally arrived at a small spring and dumped the human off of him. Luigi's face landed in the water and he woke up spluttering. Pyewacket dunked his head in and drank the water in huge gulps, periodically coming up for air. Luigi splashed some of the life-giving liquid over his sun-burnt face before copying his reptilian companion. With each drink, he felt new life being restored to his limbs and finally was able to stand on his own.

Pyewacket looked to him, water dribbling down his chin. "Let's take a look at that wing, shall we?"

Pyewacket was rather hesitant, but finally allowed him to examine it. Luigi gently moved it in several different ways to see how bad the break was. After several moments and grunts of pain from Pyewacket, Luigi nodded and found a few short, flat pieces of wood in the nearby trees. "This will hurt," he said gently taking Pyewacket's bad wind, with a loud click, he realigned the bones (trying to ignore the screams of pain coming from the dinosaur) and placed the two pieces of wood on either side of the break, tying it with a thin vine. "Feel any better?" He asked. Pyewacket grimaced, but stretched his wing to find that it didn't hurt a bit. His face lit up.

"Alright, then. Let's go." Luigi said as he gingerly climbed up between the wings.

"Weegie hang on, Pyewacket fastest runner in alla island!" Luigi adjusted his had and checked to make sure he still had his trusty dagger before taking hold of the yoshi's mane. From a fall like the one they took last night, it was amazing at how much energy Pyewacket still had. He bolted off at a canter, heading towards the cliffs of the fjord. Since one of the bridges was severed, they would have to cross at the nearest one and follow the cliffs on the other side. That would eventually take them to the beaten path that led to the village.

* * *

Midday found the rest of the company at the village sharing a lunch in silence. Gadd's brows remained furrowed- he didn't speak at all. Maverick merely hovered to and fro, keeping an eye out for his friend. Though they hadn't noticed, Maverick had nearly doubled in size since the start of the journey; he was now slightly larger than a basketball.

He gave a low whistle.

Breaker reached over and patted his 'homie.' "Don't worry, Mav. Luigi will come back, won't he, Kalliel?"

The ghost nodded.

Maverick took this to heart and gave a smile. Hammer wiped some sweat from his brow and looked up at the sky across the island. Somewhere over the ravine, a large group of vultures was beginning to swarm.

* * *

Nardis coughed violently as he drug the glittering sword weakly behind him. He hadn't meant to lead Luigi to him, but it had been for the better. Now as far as he knew, the outsider was dead along with the prince, lying somewhere at the bottom of the channel. Once the Manticores had found Luigi, it had given Nardis the time to slip away with the sword. He had high hopes that he could toss the sword into the sea, where it would never be found again. A racking cough stopped him, and he threw down the sword, leaning heavily on his staff. A few ragged feathers fell to the ground.

Why was his condition continuing to deteriorate? Though he was still alive, his body was that of a corpse's, leaving those who looked upon him to wonder if he was one of the living dead. He grew angry with his luck. He had been told by a Manticore that black jewel he had found a long time ago would give him an infinite source of power. All it was doing was killing him. He had been surprised and horrified when the gem was absorbed into his skin. After that, the life slowly left him, bit by bit.

Not any more though. He had spent much time examining its effects. If he could find one more of those jewels, it would reverse the deterioration. He grinned wickedly. Luigi had that said jewel.

* * *

They made one or two stops along the way to grab some fruit, but Luigi and Pyewacket were nearly there. They stopped just a short ways from the bridge to rest. "I don't think a quick breather would hurt, do you?" he asked the former prince. Pyewacket yawned and stretched his legs before shooting his tongue out, snagging a passing beetle. Luigi settled down against a tree and sighed before closing his eyes.

He paused and slowly opened them. "Pyewacket…do you hear that?"

Grazing on some thick grass, Pyewacket looked up and swallowed the vegetation. "No…What is I hearing?"

"Silence…It's too quiet…"

Pyewacket gave Luigi a flat look. "So…?"

"There's something nearby…" Luigi whispered. He spoke not a moment too soon, for the horrible smell of rotting flesh filled the air. Pyewacket ducked down next to his friend as they peered through the bushes. There was Nardis in all of his decayed glory. He had the sword. Luigi turned to Pyewacket and muttered something before looking back- the shaman was gone.

They both gave a cry of surprise as a heavy staff fell from above and knocked them both over the head. The two heroes fell unconscious. Nardis cackled and coughed as he searched through the pockets of Luigi's green dragon-hide waistcoat before pulling out the thin, black shard Syrup had given Luigi. Nardis smiled and closed his eyes as it sank into his skin. At last, at long last… the power was his. He gave a final cough before pounding his staff on the ground. He disappeared in a puff of shadowy smoke.

Luigi and Pyewacket awoke rather quickly. Luigi stood up, rubbing his head; the stench was gone, so Nardis was as well. Luigi slowly looked down at his vest and froze. The pockets were empty… that meant… the shard was gone. He dashed over to Pyewacket and helped him up on his feet. "Come on, we've got to go, now!" He leapt onto his back. Pyewacket gave a growl, "Norra letta me village get into trouble."

"That's right," Luigi said, narrowing his eyes. He tapped the dino's sides with his heels, urging him into a gallop. They found the bridge and dashed across, rider and steed. To Luigi's right, he could see the fallen bridge hanging in the wind, its severed end swaying in the breeze. Amazed at the speed of this creature, he urged Pyewacket on as they found the old path that led to the main plaza.

Pyewacket gave a bleating roar as they skittered to a halt, causing an upheaval of alarm in the village. The orange-colored captain, Barli, rushed out and pointed his spear at the young prince. "What-a you doin' 'ere? You've been exiled. The penalty for disobeying this order is death…"

"He's with me," Luigi said firmly. The captain's face changed to one of confusion and he backed down as the rest of his group crowded around him.

"You're alive!" Syrup said in alarm, "Thank heavens…What's wrong?" She asked, seeing that he was rather flustered.

"He took the shard!" Luigi said rather hurriedly. "Nardis has the shard and the sword!"

Syrup and Kalliel's faces hardened.

"Organize a party!" Osman shouted, "I'm-a not lettin' dat double-crossin' pin-feather get away wit' dis!" Several brawny warriors appeared next to their chief and allowed the travelers onto their back. Professor Gadd sat atop the Chief whilst Maverick bristled angrily near Luigi's shoulders. Situated on a yellow-skinned one were the three Hammer bros., hammers all drawn; Miles sat upon a great Purple-colored one, whilst Syrup and her faithful Bosun were situated upon one the color of Garnets. Flanked by several large, tattooed warriors, Chief Osman approached Luigi, his decorated spear in one hand.

"Lead de way…" He hissed eagerly. Luigi nodded, turned Pyewacket and set off at a brisk canter. He heard the thudding of footpaws and loud cheers behind him as the Chief and his hunters set off. The galloping stopped. Luigi turned around, not seeing them.

"'Hoy, down there!" Gadd hollered, cupping his hands like a megaphone. "Get a move on will ya'?" All were circling high above on feathery wings as the massive yoshis took to the skies. He urged the blue prince on, gripping his mane tightly as they sped over the ground back to the bridges.

He was surprised that Pyewacket was able to keep up with his sire and the others despite the fact that they were on the ground. They crossed the ravine and headed through the jungle, stopping after the treeline gave way to an expansive plain. Pyewacket gave a sharp whistle, calling the others down. Luigi covered his face with an arm as Osman landed with a heavy thud. He shook his head as Gadd patted the great beast on the neck. "That was rather fun, old boy! Good show!" Osman smiled, proud of his personal strength.

"Dere ees no sign of de black-beasts. No sign from de air, anyway," the yellow-scaled one carrying Marius, Hammer and Breaker reported.

"Why did you stop 'ere, lad?" Osman asked as Luigi slid off of the prince's back. Osman affectionately nuzzled his son's mane before staring at Luigi, who was bent over, examining a few tracks in the earth.

"No good," Barli, the captain of the guard stated, looking at the tracks Luigi had found. As he craned his neck, the sunlight glinted off of his orange-scales. "Dese are just deer tracks…Pyewacket, why did you stop here?"

"Sniff-a!" He spoke in his clipped English.

They all smelled the breeze that began to stir. Hammer and Breaker clapped their hands over their noses.

"Ugh, 'ees 'ere," Gadd said pinching his nose and hopping down from his ride's back. A loud rustle in the bushes and a feeble war cry was sounded as Nardis crashed towards them, the sword of Lazarus raised high over his head. Osman scowled and swung his spear in an upward arc. Nardis gave a shriek as his hand was completely severed from his wrist.

Osman said nothing, merely cleaned the leaf-bladed spear tip on a tuft of long grass. With the loss of his hand, the sword fell with a muffled thump to the ground as the decrepit black yoshi lie cringing and groaning.

Luigi's eyes darted from the sword to the bristling yoshi chieftain. The yoshis kept their spears trained on the fallen shaman as a dark pool of red appeared beneath his wrist.

"Go on, Luigi… take it," Syrup pushed him gently. He looked to king Osman.

"It's what you wanted, isn't it? We've cornered de culprit behind dese bad tidings. A promise is a promise, de sword is yours," He nodded his great green head. Luigi gave a short bow and walked over. He slowly put his hand out to grab the hilt.

"…!" He gasped in surprise as a thick, black hand stretched out and engulfed the sword. Luigi turned to Nardis- his bleeding stump of a wrist now had a new hand, one that was sleek and dark.

"He's already absorbed the shard…" Syrup said quietly. "Kill him, now…" She said to Osman.

"The same black material his new hand was composed of began snaking its way up Nardis' arm and shoulder. His eyes had lost their color. They were now two empty, white orbs.

"You actually thought I'd let you leave?" Osman jammed his spear down, hoping to jam it clean through Nardis' chest, only to have it grabbed by a tentacle of shadow.

"Ah, ah, ah," Nardis taunted, his voice stable. He wrenched the spear from the chief's hands and knocked everyone away from him by sweeping it in a wide arc.

"Enough of thi- agh!" He gasped as the shadow began to seep out of his body. "You don't stand a chance; I have more power now than my father ever could have hoped for… I will… destroy you all!" The last part of his phrase was said in a completely different voice. At once, his entire body melted into a pool of liquid shadow.

"What's going on?" Luigi asked Kalliel, his voice getting caught in his throat.

Kalliel stood, eyes wide as he murmured one word. "Kamek…"

A blast. In a shower of upturned earth and shredded grass, an enormous dragon-looking creature erupted from where Nardis was only seconds ago. It _was_ Nardis. His scales had all melted together to form a sleek, shiny coat of black, while his wings had dropped all of their feathers and skin, showing only the skeletal remains; his face had adopted more of a demonic look-a dragon's face finished off with two jagged horns protruding from the top of his head.. His eyes remained white as he looked down at Luigi who was now trembling.

"You won't leave this island alive, boy!" He roared.

"Luigi, the sword! Snap out of it!!" Kalliel yelled. Luigi shook his head, clearing his mind before making a wild dive for the blade. An enormous tongue shot out, wrapping itself around the weapon a second before Luigi got to it. Nardis retracted the tongue, swallowing the sword.

"Ew…Now how am I going to get it out?"

He got up and brushed himself off. "We need to get out of here, now!" Kalliel said. The chief and his warriors had taken to the skies and were furiously jabbing at Nardis, but to no avail. The instant the spears inflicted a wound, it merely closed itself up. By now, the skies were beginning to cloud up.

As Luigi turned and ran along with the others, he called out to the chief and the other yoshis. A fork of lightning dashed across the sky as a fierce wind began whipping across the prairie. Pyewacket appeared beside him as with a quick upwards thrust with his head, flung Luigi onto his back. Osman appeared beside Luigi, still flying, "What's de plan?"

"Uhh…"

"You don't 'ave a plan?!" Osman said in disbelief.

"No, My brother and I have always gotten by with making it up as we go. Kalliel!" He called; the ghost hovered beside them as Pyewacket ground to a halt. Osman landed and crouched, shielding them from the wind.

"Get de others into de forest!" Osman bellowed to his warriors. They picked up Syrup, the Hammer Bros., Miles, and the professor before heading into the woods to escape the monster that was now slowly plodding towards them.

"What is it you wish of me?" The ghostly knight asked of his successor. "What happened to Nardis?"

"He absorbed the Shadow shard. I told you that they were once part of the great crystal that kept Kamek contained, did I not?"

"You did." Luigi confirmed.

"When a shadow shard is absorbed, it lodges itself into your heart. Kamek can control you that way, however, it is merely the effects of that piece of concentrated shadow that changed his physical appearance, I don't think Kamek's controlling him this time," He finished breathlessly.

"Why's that?" Luigi asked.

"Trust me, you would know if he was…" Kalliel sighed.

"We need a diversion," Luigi said,

"Why?"

"I'm going to think of something," Luigi said shrugging.

Maverick appeared beside him. "Mwark!" He barked. Luigi looked slightly panicky. "No Mav, not you. I don't want to lose you." He raised his hand to pat him on the head, but much to his surprise, he gave a yelp of pain as Maverick nipped his hand before flipping into the air.

Luigi rubbed his hand and examined the bite. There was no wound at all- and he knew Maverick had sharp teeth. Luigi stared open mouthed as Maverick bolted into the sky.

Eyes glowing rosy-red, he slightly increased his size as he bared his rather sharp teeth. He began zooming around the creature's head.

"Now's our chance," Kalliel said, urging them on. Luigi kept his neck craned to watch his little friend as he grappled bravely with Nardis.

Maverick darted in and out, sinking his teeth into Nardis' flesh every now and then. Expecting the wounds to close up, Nardis merely ignored him, until he bit him on the hand. Nardis stared as Maverick raked his teeth across the skin, leaving a glowing white mark that burned like white fire. Nardis roared in agony before swinging his head around, mouth agape.

"NO!" Luigi screamed, watching at the jaws closed. Nardis had swallowed Maverick.

He turned his white eyes back to Luigi and with a few flaps of his skeletal wings, took to flight. "Come on!" He urged Pyewacket on as Osman bolted for the ravine. "We must get to de gorge!" Though Osman dwarfed his son, Pyewacket was easily able to overcome him and in no time they had arrived at the cliffs where the bridges spanned the width of the chasm.

"Osman. I need you to fly me up to him," Luigi said sternly.

"Luigi, what are you doing?" Marius asked carefully as Luigi climbed off the back of Pyewacket and strode over to the edge of the cliffs.

"I'm going to get Maverick out of there and get the sword so we can go home!" Luigi said.

"Oh Noes! He ate my homie?!" Breaker screeched.

"He'll get him back," Hammer said confidently, "Won't you, Luigi?"

"Yeah." He nodded to the chief before flinging himself off of the cliff. A great shadow appeared overhead as Nardis made to land in their midst. Osman dove after the young man, tucking his wings in as he plummeted below.

"Run!" Syrup shouted above the wind. The party scattered into the trees for refuge as the beast slammed down onto the ground with a roar. Nardis took in a great breath before releasing a column of fire from his mouth. The trees were incinerated in a blazing sweep. The party scattered a bit more as The flames fizzled out. Nardis cackled. "You can run…but not forever-Gack!!!" He cried as two bolts tore through his body. One was a standard bolt of lightning from Gadd's Cross-bolt; the other was a tiny blue ball of crackling fire. Gadd stood smirking wit his weapon raised as the monster looked about.

Nardis wheeled about to see Luigi standing on top of the hovering Osman's back, fingers in a gun-position. He looked down at his abdomen, examining the two holes the projectiles made when they passed through. Touching them, he found that he was bleeding. He grinned and took a deep breath. Luigi reached into his pants' pocket and removed a small, glittering star. He closed his hand over it, watching as a gold light spread over himself and Osman.

Another column of fire was belched in their direction. Osman gritted his teeth as the gold sparkles showered from their bodies. Luigi removed the Key, that shining silver dagger, from its sheath. Urging the Chieftain on, he crouched down and flew headfirst into the flames. At the last possible second, Osman banked upwards with a twist; Luigi leapt off of his back and high into the air. Nardis ceased his fire and turned his gruesome head upwards before Opening his mouth and shooting out his tongue.

Luigi nearly dropped his weapon. This was certainly not what he had expected and let out a startled yell as the tongue pulled him into the gaping mouth.

Kalliel covered his mouth, "Ugh…that's really …bad…"

Nardis waited for a few moments. The holes from the shots slowly closed as he chuckled. He roared to the sky as another lightning bolt flashed, illuminating the smoldering forest below.

"Your champion's gone!" He bellowed. "Look upon Nardis! This is no curse, this is a gift."

"Yes, a gift that comes with a terrible price, for it was the dark side of ambition that drove you to sell your soul," Kalliel said, appearing in midair before the beast.

"You've got a smart mouth and a lot of courage to speak that way to me… Though you are a spirit, I am shadow and I could rend you in pieces within seconds should I wish it…" He sneered.

Kalliel was not amused.

* * *

Luigi felt cold and heavy. It was almost the same feeling as when he had first gotten the mark at the palace of spirits. Raising his hand to his forehead, he touched the spot between his eyes, feeling warmth spread throughout his limbs. The darkness did not fade, however. Once more, the cold feeling of dread was beginning to creep up on him. He had been devoured by shadow, ingested within the bowels of the very thing in which he was supposed to destroy. He felt himself spiraling emotionally; he was going to lose everything!

"No!" He found himself saying. He remembered his friends, Daisy, and Mario… the last remaining blood relative he had. He couldn't leave them behind. Maverick! He had nearly forgotten Maverick. With his newfound hope and determination, he began 'swimming' through the thick darkness, groping about for his little companion. "Maverick!" He called helplessly.

The sounds of desperate squeaking came from his left, so in that direction he went. Groping about, he finally touched something round. "Maverick?!" He asked, pulling at it. Much to his relief, the darkness began to fade and he found himself cradling the small ghost in his arms. Maverick was sobbing hysterically.

"It's okay! It's me!" He said soothingly. Maverick ceased his whimpering and nuzzled Luigi warmly before zooming around him, chittering happily. Luigi then noticed that they had begun to fall. He bounced off something hard with a cry before landing with a loud splat on something warm, wet and soft. He got up and tried to wipe his face off, only succeeding in spreading slime over his visage. Maverick fluttered down and nudged his hand; the one where he bit him, and cooed apologetically.

"I forgive you." Luigi said gently, looking around. He lit a small fireball in his hand before taking in his surroundings with a gasp of disgust. He had landed smack in the middle of Nardis' great stomach. A rumble shook the floor beneath him as a light appeared at the other end of the cavernous organ. Luigi backed as far away from it as he could, taking Maverick with him as a blast of heat preceded a plume of fire that blasted upwards and out of the top. Closing his eyes, he slowly raised his hands in front of his face to shield him and Maverick from the heat.

Once it had died down, he shifted his weight. Maverick hovered to and fro, warbling nervously. "I know," Luigi said quietly. "We've gotta get out of here, we're gonna run out of air in a few minutes," he said critically. Maverick set his expression and nodded.

"Oh, hang on… there's something in my back…" Luigi twisted around and trying to breathe lightly, took a hold of whatever was poking him in the back. To his surprise, his hand touched something long and thin, cold to the touch and hard. His heart skipped a few beats as he took it in both hands and pulled it out with a wet slurping noise from the stomach wall. He fell to his knees, his mouth turned upwards in a grin. He had it, at long last, the sword of Lazarus.

For a single second, he lost consciousness, but in that time, everything was made clear. He saw his mother; heard her voice, how it repeated the same words he had been hearing over the past several nights. He watched as she held the sword aloft, slicing into Kamek's body with a great beam of light and saw her as she vanished in a swirl of sparkling light. The last thing he saw was Lazarus's face- the dark hair, slightly hooked nose, and sapphire eyes, as he spoke to Luigi. "Go forth, this sword is yours…" He vanished and Luigi awoke.

When he opened his eyes, he found that he was filled with a new strength, almost brand new. His eyes were white, glowing with a pale green light as the mark on his forehead flared brightly. The sword shimmered to life in his hand; the dull metal became a brilliant, sparkling tool that appeared to shine with the light of the stars themselves.

He beckoned for Maverick.

* * *

Nardis smiled as the rain began to fall. "You are all dead; now hold still… this won't take long." He opened his mouth as if to spew forth fire, but stopped. Kalliel turned his eyes to his stomach. At that instant, a blade poked through and tore through shadow with a blinding flash as Luigi leapt out and nimbly landed on the ground. He was dripping in slime as he straightened up. He looked to Kalliel and nodded, his eyes aglow. Kalliel and Syrup dropped to their knees.

Luigi took a deep breath as Nardis shrieked, "It's not healing…no! How…!?"

Luigi began speaking, "Suppressed by the might, of the one called the bright…" Syrup smiled as she silently mouthed the rest of the words with him, "…to repent for his alleged crime; with sword in hand and standard grand, he began a war through time…"

The verse had started out in Luigi's own voice, but quickly changed to one of a slightly deeper pitch, still sharing the melodious tones of Luigi's voice. It was the Voice of Lazarus.

"Who…no, What are you?!" Nardis shrieked, trembling in anger as the gaping wound on his stomach glowed bright with white light.

"I am your end," Lazarus began, "And this man's beginning." He raised a hand to his chest. He took off at a run and with a powerful leap, rocketed into the air. He landed on Nardis' paw and jumped again, this time leaping on top of his head. He raised the sword and plunged it deep into Nardis' skull. With a mighty shake, he dislodged Lazarus, sending him falling back down as Luigi; somewhat dazed.

Osman caught the human in the air and gently set him down. The group rushed to his side as he opened his eyes which had now gone back to their normal sapphire hue. "Woah… what a wild trip that was," he said, obviously out of it. He looked up at Nardis who was shrieking in an unholy scream as he clawed at his face. Jutting out of his forehead, was the glittering hilt of the sword; now his.

"Did I do that?"

"Well, technically Lazarus the Bright did that," Kalliel said with a grin, "But yes, I suppose you did."

Luigi smiled. He smiled at all of his friends around him. "Just one more hit, and we can go home…" He slowly got to his feet. Nardis ceased his screams and glared angrily down at him. Closing his eyes, Luigi once more allowed the mark to flare to life as he tried to call back that spirit; the Spirit of Lazarus. Success. The Star spirit did not hesitate to lend his power once more. Again, Luigi felt an unfathomable amount of strength fill him.

Once that was taken care of, he though about what to do. Looking up to the sky, the rain was already coming down, that might make it a little easier. If he summoned the spirits of water together from the clouds and, hopefully, the sea, he would be able to obliterate this fire-breathing fiend for good. He gave a quick nod. Remembering what Kalliel had said about coaxing the spirit out, he closed his eyes once more and searched about for a presence. Luckily, with all of the time he had spent with the water medal, water spirits were everywhere.

He gathered them together, trying to form a solid mass of them. He opened his eyes. "Kalliel!" He called, hoping to ask his mentor for guidance. No response. He called again, no response. Where was he?

No matter, he had a ball of water spirits above his head. A voice in the back of his head spoke.

"Let them go…" Lazarus said gently. Luigi released his hold on them, watching as they formed a large mass of shimmering water. Slowly, the ball unfurled to a long, thin shape before rocketing into the sky and down into the ravine.

"Ah, the lord of water truly favors you…" Lazarus spoke again. "Thou art courageous, and I think you deserve a little assistance."

Luigi closed his eyes in prayer to his guardian star. "Thank you, you are most merciful," he whispered, feeling as Lazarus lent him the strength to finish the summon. When it was done, he fell to the ground exhausted. A rumble behind him caused him to raise his head to see what it was. With an earth shattering roar, an enormous dragon- long and thin like the eastern dragons of Chai- rumbled into the sky. What was so peculiar about it was it was completely composed of water, with a large, glowing mark identical to Luigi's between its eyes. Luigi smiled before closing his eyes.

Nardis, in a last-ditch effort, summoned the strength for one more fire blast and let it fly. The dragon gave another roar before thundering forward in an undulating motion. The fire instantly dissipated into steam as the dragon slammed itself through Nardis' body like a bullet, tearing shadow, scales and decaying flesh from the body.

When it had gone through, it doubled back and ploughed back down to the channel between the cliff sides.

The monster collapsed into a pool of shadow which shrank, leaving the broken body of the sickly black yoshi, handless arm, slashed abdomen and a bloodied forehead.

Luigi, with the help of his friends sat up and looked to Osman. "Wit' your permission," he started, pulling the now-glittering sword from the ground, "May I use dis once more?"

"Be my guest," Luigi said weakly. Nardis pleaded and whimpered as the chieftain drew back his arm before plunging the sword into the sniveling creature's heart. Nardis fell limp, dead at last. The deed was done. "I am a beast of me word," Osman said, cleaning the blade before handing it to Luigi, hilt-first. "A promise is a promise… it's yours, my most prized possession… You truly are de chosen of my people's legends." He turned to his son before looking back to Luigi, "I cannot go back against tribal law… He must leave…"

Luigi nodded. "I'll take him with me. I'm sure he would be better off with me than anything." Osman smiled broadly, "Excellent."

It was quiet now, except for the splattering of rain on the ground. A quiet rumble was heard above them. The dragon was back. Luigi looked up.

"Extend thy hand…" It said. Luigi did as he was bid.

"I give to thee my power…may it be used for the betterment of this world." There was a bright flash and in the wake of the enormous deity, a small orb hovered. It floated down to Luigi who took it in his hand. It was about the size of a small billiard ball and was of a deep sapphire hue.

Luigi gave a cry as it went _into_ his hand, completely disappearing.

"Look," Marius said, motioning over to his side. Kalliel lay on his back, unconscious. Luigi's eyes widened when he realized what just happened.

Kalliel…was the keeper of water…

Luigi smiled. No wonder he had been giving him so much assistance with water magic.

He had the sword, the key and his friends… his mission was accomplished here. He could now return home to the ones he loved. The smile still lay plastered to his face as the rest of his strength faded. He fell gratefully into the warm embrace of sleep, dreaming of his home and family.

Upon a rocky outcrop, Judges turned to the others. "Back to the Dark lands… Kamek will not be pleased," he muttered, his voice cracking.

* * *

**End of Book 1**


	21. Homecoming

ACT II- Sorry for the wait folks, been busy with school and all. Here be the first chapter of Part deux.

* * *

**Chapter 21: Homecoming**

The wind ruffled Luigi's shaggy dark-brown hair as the Teacup sped away from Isla Tortuga. His green hat in hand, Luigi stared back at the receding island as it grew smaller and smaller, quite rapidly, into the distance. He smiled sadly; he had grown quite fond of the rugged island. Perhaps if he took another vacation anytime soon, he would return, but for now he was just happy to be homeward bound.

Leaning casually against the rail, he watched as the three Hammer Bros. and Maverick playfully chased each other around the deck-space, laughing as they erupted into a fit of giggles.

The tropical sun glittered warmly off of the waves and off of the glimmering sword that now hung in its scabbard at his waist. He turned to the side, admiring the way the hilt shone. He smiled broadly, chest swelling with pride.

"Alright, alright," Gadd chuckled, plodding over to him. "You're in the big leagues now," he said, poking the scabbard with one finger, "Don't let it get to your head." He laughed broadly and clapped a hand on Luigi's back as he took a seat on the railing next to him. "Ha ha, I'm just kidding sonny, I know you'd never do that."

Luigi smiled at the old man as he leaned back again. The sword was heavy; he wasn't able to wield it in one hand yet, but the feel of its weight at his side was a very comforting thing.

Syrup stood at the helm, looking out over the waves, her ever faithful Bosun at her side.

"Tighten that pull cable! Don't let that sail go slack!" She called down to the two crew members who were securing a rope to the hook on the mast. She relinquished the helm to her Bosun and went down to the group on the deck.

"'Hoy there, boys!" She chirped, receiving warm welcomes from everyone.

"Well," She said, hopping up on the railing of her beloved ship next to the hero and his companions. "Just wanted to let you know, we'll be at the Mushroom Kingdom port in approximately two days," she smiled slyly. Luigi looked at her in disbelief. "There's no way! It took us two weeks to get out to the island in the first place, not to mention the time it took to get to Rougeport."

Flavio appeared in front of them, "Ah, but you see, there was no jet stream going to Tortuga, now was there?"

Luigi paused, thinking. He did have a point and looking down at the water; he saw that indeed they were stuck in the middle of a large current.

"This current circumnavigates the globe," Flavio said, flaunting his knowledge. "It runs near the continent, cuts through the center of the Water Land province of the Mushroom Kingdom, then cuts along the sea south of Desert Land, crosses the Great Sea East of Sarasaland, then flows up south of the Tortuga Archipelago." Flavio smiled, "So it won't take us very long to get back home _and _it will swing us right by Mushroom bay and the great Mushroom bridge."

"Huh," Luigi sighed with a shrug. "I guess you _do_ learn something every day."

"So…" Flavio said after a short while, gaining confused looks from Luigi and Syrup. "Out with it, let us hear your tale of Action, Adventure and… Romance!!" Flavio suddenly leapt up swinging his cutlass about. It met the flat of the great Sword with a CLANG as Luigi swiftly removed it and held it aloft to shield his face from the blade.

"Easy, Cap'n, easy…" Luigi sighed, slowly dropping his arms. The blade was extremely heavy, made obvious as Luigi strained to keep it held up at that angle, even with both arms. "Alright." He said.

"Ooh, Ooh…Shut up you guys!" Breaker suddenly blurted as he seated himself upon the pile of rope near Flavio. "Luigi's gonna tell a story…Shh!" He blubbered excitedly. Luigi grinned and tossed his hat to him. Breaker continued to amuse everyone as he placed the green cap atop his head, only to have it snatched up by Maverick, who placed it on his own head.

"Mmyes, I am indeed intrigued by this tale. Especially since you all ran off without me--your valiant adventurer," Flavio said disdainfully.

"You would've just hidden the entire time!" Syrup snapped. "More of a burden than help, if you ask me!" Flavio merely huffed as Luigi started off his tale.

Throughout the story, Luigi held the captivation of the audience quite well, often emphasizing the more intense parts and acting out what he could. He would often swing the sword about when reenacting battle scenes, cutting a glittering arc through the warm air.

He held the sword out in one arm as he finished, slightly panting. He gave a sweeping bow before lettin his arm drop heavily amidst the applause from the crew. "This thing's really heavy…"

Syrup shrugged, clapping her hands as she grinned broadly at him.

"Very well told…though I must say, I can't quite remember one or two of those events happening like that…" Kalliel mused to the professor, who merely laughed. "Yep, Luigi has a tendency to stretch the truth sometimes, but it makes for an interestin' yarn you have to admit."

"Indeed."

Luigi, with great effort, picked up the blade and gingerly slid it back into the old black-leather scabbard. He admired his reflection in the polished black stone set into the pommel.

The hilt was a rather simple design with a wire-wrapped pommel which used to be covered by a leather grip. That had worn off long ago, from what Luigi could tell. The pommel was topped by a rounded diamond shape which held a faceted onyx crystal. The hilt was impressive on its own, but even more so was the blade attached to it. It was a long, thin blade with a finely honed edge and a string of star-glyphs running from the hilt down to about ¼ of the length.

It glowed slightly, reflecting Luigi's face as well as any mirror. Seeing his reflection made him remember something. He froze.

"Aaagh!" He cried.

"What is it?!" Syrup asked, startled.

"We forgot the shard! Oh, jeez…I c-can't believe it… we forgot-"

"Luigi…Luigi," Syrup said trying to get his attention.

"Maybe the Manticores took it or it was lost in the ravine or…"

"LUIGI!" Syrup barked, pulling two black crystals out of her pocket. "Look; and I even got the other one. You honestly didn't think I'd just leave them behind for grabs do you?"

He sighed heavily in relief as he accepted them from her and placed them into a pocket on his vest. He rubbed his hands nervously as he stood up. The black fingerless gloves stuck out of his back pocket and the sun shone on two faint yet identical markings on the back of his hands.

"Hold still…" She murmured, walking over to him and taking one of his hands in her own. On his hand was a thin faded blue lightning bolt. It looked more like a strange scar or a bruise than anything. "Ohh…that explains it... No wonder you were flingin' blots right and left... You've been branded by the Lord of Thunder."

"What?"

"Kalliel, if you would," Syrup said, beckoning to the ghost. He appeared with a nod.

"You remember the orb I gave you?" Luigi nodded. "There are others. One for each element. You see…" He paused, thinking. "Hold on… this won't hurt. It'll feel a little strange." Luigi grimaced as Kalliel slowly placed his spectral hand into his chest. When he pulled it out again, he held three orbs.

"Three?" Luigi said in surprise, patting his chest where Kalliel had reached in. He recognized the deep blue one as water, and took it in his hand. Though solid, it felt as if he were holding a compressed sphere of pure liquid.

Kalliel held a glowing red orb in one hand and a faintly crackling light green orb in the other. "You already have the fire and lightning elements. I must say that the Lady of Fire is quite generous with her power, but to acquire the Thunder Master's power is something to be reckoned. He's not been known to give it out at will."

"Uh…"

"There is one for each element," Kalliel smiled. "I hold sway over water, of course. You see," he said, handing the orbs back to Luigi. "As time passed after Lazarus left this world, the lay energies gathered and waited for the individuals who possessed the abilities to house their power. Each one was honored in their own way during life, and when they died, they would become the guardian spirit of that element. In the three-thousand years since Lazarus inhabited this Earth, they have all been found except one…"

Luigi stared, "Which one?"

"The element of Darkness. He or she has yet to show themselves. After I died, the order as it dwindled lost hope that we would ever find whoever it was. But now that you are here, we now have a chance to find them."

The orbs had disappeared from Luigi's hands, infusing him with their power once more. "Have you mastered all of the elements?"

"Somewhat… Darkness is a powerful black magic that I personally didn't care for however, many of the knights before me didn't even do that. They got along just fine. I made notes on the black magics in the book."

"So, I'm gonna have to learn these, too?" Luigi asked.

"If you'd like. It's really your decision."

Luigi smiled. "I'm not known for doing things half-assed. I'll do it, though don't expect me to jump on it and get it perfect the first time. Besides, if you guys are expecting me to destroy Kamek, then I'll need all the help I can give myself." He said the part about Kamek rather hesitantly. "…I'm going to go see Pyewacket," he stated. Kalliel placed a hand on his shoulder, "Please know this…Kamek cannot be destroyed until you learn how to be a true knight. Dawdling for too long will not be to your advantage."

"Don't worry. Until we find a new lead on what I can do, let's just take it easy," Luigi said rather calmly. He shook his head. "...Is destroying Kamek really... my only job?"

Kalliel paused. "Er…Hmm… I'd almost forgotten. Forgive me, I was swept up in the moment, I suppose. No…Our true purpose is to protect the royal family with our lives…I-I can't believe I had forgotten that…" Luigi placed a hand on his friend's shoulder in a similar fashion. "Hey, don't worry about it, okay? Let's just take it one step at a time. No offense or anything, but I don't want to rush into this…Speaking of which, why the royal family?"

"Because they alone of the royal blood have the power to undo the damage wrought by evil upon this world. They hold the power to undo any curses or spells dark ones have cast."

"I guess that's one reason why Bowser kidnaps Peach so much, huh?" Luigi questioned calmly before heading below deck. The galley was quiet save for the brush of broom bristles against the hard, wooden floor where one of the assistant cooks was cleaning up. Luigi smiled as he passed him, receiving a wave from the young pianta before continuing down another short flight of stairs that led to the expansive cargo hold.

The walls of the hold were lined with various trunks filled to the point of overflowing with arrays of silks and treasure of all kinds. At the back, inside a makeshift pen slept Pyewacket.

It had been a rather tedious task getting him out of the reservation. He had needed to contact the royal court to request permits and papers signed by the princess in order to remove him from the reservation. Thankfully, Peach was more than happy to oblige and they were able to leave two days later. Luigi looked at his new friend fondly as he slept, legs tucked beneath him. Osman was right; it would be better for him to leave the island.

Pyewacket sniffed and opened his eyes when he caught Luigi's scent.

"Ah, Weegie!" He piped, leaping to his feet with some difficulty. Before they had left the port, the professor had succeeded in properly binding the wing. Though it was heavily wrapped at the break, it was well on its way to healing and it didn't cause the prince any discomfort. Luigi smiled, reaching out and stroking the large, soft nose. "Hungry?"

"Yessa! Very, very 'ungry!" He said as his stomach gave a growl. "How mucha longer 'till we get to big land?"

Luigi emptied the contents of a small sack into a small empty treasure chest before placing it in the pen. "We should be there by tomorrow, hopefully." Pyewacket munched at the mix of nuts and berries his friend had provided for him. He swallowed and cocked his head, puzzled. "Weegie sad?"

"A little…" Luigi gave a half-hearted smile. Pyewacket shrugged and went back to his food. It had been a rather emotional parting for the travelers and those who had helped them on the island; especially for Pyewacket and his father. Luigi sighed with a chuckle. He and Miles had gotten to be good friends within the short time they spent in each other's company and he realized that he was going to miss the sandy-haired koopa's wild spirit and determination.

"I'm just glad we'll be able to get home… Man, I am _so_ tired…" he said as he hopped over the row of boxes that kept the yoshi prince encaged.

A high-pitched laugh was heard behind him. "Luigi, you're always tired. No wonder you were passing out all the time." Syrup sauntered up to the pen and leaned her elbows on the boxes. "Don't you get any sleep?" she said, ruffling the yoshi's hair.

Luigi began brushing his new steed's red mane with a thick-bristled brush he had found on the floor. "Not really," He said. Syrup raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I don't get much sleep… you know how Mario's a 'doer?' I'm more of a thinker. I keep myself up every night thinking; most of the time I don't get any sleep at all. That's why I'm always napping during the day and whenever I _do_ manage to get to sleep, I have nightmares. It's because I get scared so easily." Luigi continued brushing Pyewacket's hair. "I don't have the endurance my brother has, you know."

Syrup stared at him thoughtfully, "But you have something he doesn't, and that's a better sense of tactical logic and deductive reasoning. Granted that whole mess with Nardis was fought by instinct, but you still showed a great deal of backbone nonetheless." At this, Luigi blushed.

_Aww, how cute…_ Syrup thought as Luigi scratched his head. His cheeks were tinged with scarlet as he put the brush down and hopped back over the boxes. "Naw," He said as the tinge died down, "Mario's always had more valor than I'll ever have. It's been that way since we were little; he had strength and bravery, I had agility and smarts." He tapped his temple, "But he's not stupid. Not at all. Mario's a very intelligent man. Heh, he's more capable of being a good leader than I am." Luigi smiled. "Which is fine."

"It doesn't matter, Luigi. Whether you think of yourself as brave or not," she shook her head. "The point is, true bravery is being afraid to do something, but doing it anyway. At the end of the day, Luigi, you showed more courage than any of us there." Luigi stopped. She was right.

"You're braver than a lot of people think. All _you_ need to do is stop telling yourself that you are a coward." She beckoned with her head, "Come on, They're serving lunch." Luigi nodded and followed.

* * *

The next day found Luigi and Marius sitting atop the crow's nest on lookout. Luigi held Marius' conch shell in his hands before apprehensively blowing into it. "How was it you got a sound out of it?" He asked, peering into the shell. Marius smiled. "Play it like a trumpet." Luigi put it to his lips and gave a blast. The shell sounded, creating an echo off of the waves.

"'Scuse me!" He heard Breaker giggle below on the deck. The crew erupted in laughter.

"Well, you seem in a good mood today," Luigi said to Marius. Marius yawned and leaned back against the mast. "I'm glad to be going home. Yeah, it was nice on the beach, I'm probably going to go somewhere like that when I retire, but I'm eager to get back to what we do best..." He looked over at Luigi.

"Soccer!" They both said. Marius' eyes wandered to the two silvery blades at Luigi's side. "So what are you going to do when we get back?" He asked curiously.

Luigi shrugged. "Dunno… I'm probably going to ask Toadsworth if I can sneak a few peeks at the royal archives, see if I can find anything about my mother."

"Will you tell me about her sometime?" Marius asked before turning his gaze back to the horizon. Luigi nodded. "Sure. How'd you know about her, though?" Marius grinned. "Well, being stuffed in your suitcase on the way to Rougeport, I couldn't help but see that picture of that man and woman you had squirreled away in there." He paused.

"So uh, are we entering the next cup?" He asked, deciding to change the subject.

Luigi gave a firm nod. "Yeah… I think it's high time we tore up the pitch again, eh?" Marius smiled one last time before leaping into the air and blasting a note on the conch. "Land Ho! Mushroom port spotted at 12 o'clock!"

It took about an hour, but they managed to successfully pull into one of the docks. Luigi and Marius jumped from foothold to foothold as they nimbly leapt down from the rigging. Looking around at the other boats, Luigi noticed that they stuck out like a sore thumb. The delicate-looking sail-boat stood out profoundly amongst the numerous steel-hulled cargo, fishing, and cruise ships that were docking.

Luigi whipped off his hat and waved ecstatically as he spied several familiar faces on the dock. Peach, Toadsworth, Mario, Yoshi, and surprisingly Wario, were all standing and cheering, waving wildly as several of the Teacup's crewmen lowered the gangplank. Luigi replaced his hat and bolted down the gangplank towards his friends. Maverick warbled and whistled as he sped along beside him.

The two brothers embraced each other warmly before Mario stepped back to admire his younger brother. His skin held a darker tan and it seemed as if everything about him was thinner and leaner. Wario waddled over and gave a low whistle as he admired the large sword hanging by Luigi's side. "Ohohoo, Wario likes. And you've got yourself some nice new duds, heh heh… So tell me, who fixed you up with those, eh?" Wario cackled, slapping a hearty hand onto his friend's shoulder. He and Luigi got along a lot better than most people thought.

"I did…" Captain Syrup said levelly as she walked down the gangplank with her Bosun in tow. "Wario," she nodded.

"Syrup," he muttered gruffly in return. The two bitter rivals glared angrily at one another.

The group helped load all of the luggage into the large, royal car Toadsworth had waiting for them. Luigi and his friends said their goodbyes; Maverick burbling out a choky goodbye to the beautiful lady corsair. "Aww, baby, you can come visit me anytime, okay hon?" She stroked his pearly white face and planted a kiss between his large, rose-red eyes. She turned to Luigi before fairly leaping onto him in a great hug.

Luigi gasped as she squeezed him, her strength wasn't something to be over-estimated. "I think I'll miss you the most, hon." She said softly. "You better come back and visit me again sometime, too." She placed a finger beneath his chin. Luigi smiled, shaking his head when he felt the on-comings of a fiery blush in his face. She began walking away from him, "See you around, Tiger." The Bosun gave Luigi a firm handshake and a bow before following his mistress. Flavio belted out his goodbyes from the railings.

"Syrup!" He called hesitantly. She turned. "You never took this," Luigi held out the large diamond. "O-oh…Um, well…" she shrugged.

"If you don't want it, I'll keep it," Luigi said, a sly grin playing on his lips.

"Psh, bump that!" She said, taking it out of his hand and tossing it up and down playfully. She ran to the gangplank before stopping and looking at him, "Thanks, Weege. For everything."

"This is where we part ways? Where are you going to go?" He asked.

"Wherever the wind takes me. That horizon out there's waiting for me, I'm not hanging around here all day," She smiled, "that would be very ungentlemanly of you to keep me from it, right?" She flashed a grin before boarding her ship. The Sun was beginning to dip down in the late afternoon sky as the Teacup pulled away from the dock. Syrup blew a kiss back to him before Aldjin appeared and ushered their ship away with a blast of air.

"Let's get-a going, bro. You've got a lot to tell us," Mario said. Luigi walked over to Yoshi, who was holding Pyewacket firmly by the reins that were attached to a soft-rope halter.

"(Don't worry; I'll get him back to your house, Luigi.)" The green dino said in yoshi speak. Luigi nodded and with a final glance at the ship that was leaving the bay, climbed into the car with Breaker, Hammer, Marius, the professor. Maverick decided it would be more fun to fly along beside the vehicle as they sped away.


	22. Shadow Fragments

A/N: Okie dokey! In this chapter I will be introducing a new character. (He's not new if you watched the old Super Mario 3 cartoons from the '90's. If you watched the episode 'Life's Ruff' then you will remember him.) So get to know him and love him as much as I do. I have concept at of him up at my Deviant art page—Algizbluedragon. So if I skimp on something when I'm describing him, you can see it there.

**Chapter 22: Shadow Fragments**

The first thing Luigi noticed when he stepped out of the car was that it had become rather cold out. He shivered, rubbing his arms as his teeth chattered. It had completely slipped his mind that he had indeed been gone for a month. He left in mid September and had returned to his mansion in late October. Now, the leaves of Boo's wood had turned to gold and red, turning all of Forever Forest into an autumn sanctum. He quickly gathered all of his things from the back, including the great sword and his suitcase. Kalliel gathered up any last things from the back of the car before following the group up to the house.

On the way there, they had dropped off the three Hammer Bros. at their house on the outskirts of Toad town. How happy Marius, Breaker and Hammer had been to be home. Breaker and Hammer's mother had been just as excited to see them all again and showed her gratitude to Luigi by giving him a squeezing hug. "You really ought to come and visit sometime for tea soon, Luigi," she had told him as she fussed over her two sons. "I don't know how I can repay you for bringing these three back safely." She patted Marius on the shoulder. Luigi smiled at the fact that she cared for his best friend as much as she did her own sons.

She gave Luigi a quick peck on the cheek and had sent him and the others back to his house. The air had been rather warm; carrying the smell of a dying summer, when he left. Now, as he wandered up the walkway to the front door, the chilly wind caused several dried leaves to skitter across the yard. He stopped.

"Master Luigi!" A frightened voice called from the bushes. Luigi raised his eyebrows in surprise and turned to find Shivers floating cautiously towards him. "Shivers…what…what's wrong?" he asked slowly.

"They came so fast I-I didn't know what to do!" He wailed as Peach and Mario tried to console him. Maverick turned to the house and baring his fangs, hissed in a very cat-like manner. Luigi took a few steps forward before stopping. There was that prickling feeling again. "Who were 'they'?" Luigi asked firmly.

"I-I don't know w-who, sir…animals…black lions, nonetheless!" Shivers stammered. Luigi felt as if he had been hit with a brick. He suddenly took off at a run towards the front door, which he just realized sat awkwardly unhinged. He shouldered the heavy wooden door and heaved. It creaked as it budged before Luigi pushed it up and against the wall.

The house inside was darkened, but with the sunlight filtering through the windows, Luigi was able to see the trashed interior. The doors leading from the foyer into the living room had been smashed in, revealing a room filled with scattered papers, torn furniture and much to Luigi's surprise deep claw marks in the walls.

"What happened here?!" Mario said, running to his brother's side. Maverick was bristling and snarling angrily.

"Mav," Luigi said, his voice shaking with an effort to control his rage. "Go down to the cellar and flip on the emergency power switches in the fuse box, please."

Kalliel appeared from beneath the floor. "Madame Clairvoya is safe; they stayed away from her chambers."

"Who, Luigi?" Peach asked hesitantly. Luigi sighed, not even facing her. "Judges…"

"How many of them?" Mario asked slowly. Luigi shook his head.

"Not how many… Judges is one person… well; I wouldn't even call him that." He whipped around, holding up three fingers. "There are three…Judges, Loky, and Grym. They… are Manticores, and they're after me…" He said grimly.

"But what could they want here?" Gadd chuckled as the electricity came back on. "Must've been passing by," he chuckled dryly at his comment. "Thanks Mav!" He hollered hoarsely through the floor. The little boo appeared and began chattering furiously, pointing down through the floor.

"Now, what could be the matter with him?" Gadd asked as the two brothers nodded to one another before following the small ghost to the cellar. At that moment, Luigi felt a sudden wave of fear as he neared the lab. Taking off at a run, he entered the lab to find an array of scattered papers, books and upturned equipment.

Mario whistled to himself, "What a mess-a…" He turned to see his brother standing rigid, face going pale. "Luigi?"

"Oh, no…" Luigi gasped. The door leading to the new picture gallery was splintered. When they had built Luigi's new mansion, he had personally asked for a separate room to be added in the cellar for Gadd's paintings. Now, an icy fear had him gripped tightly. He leapt over the remains of the door and ran down the hallway into the gallery. Several paintings lay unscathed on the floor, but at the back, claw marks and slashes peppered the walls. There was a small room at the back of the gallery Gadd kept specially for the portrait of King boo. That door…was now in pieces.

"They didn't…" Luigi prayed to himself, to Lazarus and Eldestar. His shoulders dropped as he reached the back room. "They did…" He gritted his teeth. Just great…

"I don't believe it, they've trashed my lab," the professor spat, "ruined my gallery too…" he trailed off as he came upon the sight of Luigi leaning heavily against the door post. The professor cupped a hand over his mouth and gasped at the sight of the empty wall. Luigi was surprised then. He had never seen the professor look so tired or forlorn before. Luigi's mind raced, what would Kamek want with King boo.

"King Boo…Bogmire…Vincent…all gone…" the professor mumbled weakly.

"What? Bogmire's gone?" Luigi asked in surprise.

"Yes…Van Gore too…"

Luigi shook his head. "What does Kamek want with them?"

Gadd shrugged. "Don't know…Of course he had to go after the strongest ones I have…"

Mario stood, looking utterly confused. "Kamek?" Luigi paused before nodding, looking to his brother with sad eyes, "It's a long story…"

Mario could tell his brother knew something, but knew better to press the matter. Now was not the time for things like that. "Don't look so defeated," Kalliel said. "If he's got the paintings, he's looking for a way to bring them back, am I correct?"

Luigi thought.

"Yes, of course…" Gadd muttered. Luigi smiled, "Not a problem then. He doesn't have anything to bring them back with…"

"Exactly."

"So then there is no real danger, right?" Luigi asked, summing it up. Kalliel's brow furrowed. "I'm not positive. He wants those paintings for a reason. For what I don't know…He'll find a way to bring them to life…I'm sure of it."

Gadd had already left the room. His voice drifted in from the lab. "Well, the Manticores didn't take the portraificationer…so, boo on them, huh?"

"He'll find a way… but not anytime soon. We'll get those back before he figures it out," Luigi said, a smile lightening his features. Mario, Luigi and Kalliel walked out of the gallery, muttering to themselves. "So, why would-a he want those-a three out of all of the ones here?" Mario asked.

"Well, my best guess is he's wanting to get his grimy paws on an alliance between Darkland and all ghosts under king boo. He wants Van Gore to create more ghosts for him… and Bogmire…I don't really know what he wants with him." Luigi said in finality.

"I don't think he's looking to build an army…Real ghosts cannot be made. If he were building a force with Van Gore's paintings up, it would be far too weak." Kalliel said, crossing his arms in thought. "But don't worry about it. That's an excellent guess…but it's not a high priority concern right now." Kalliel gave a nod. "Kamek is going to know that you are the new knight, Luigi, thanks to his lackeys. He didn't know who it was when we set out. He just knew that after the bells in the palace tolled that someone was going after the sword. That's why he sent the Manticores. It just so happens that that ship full of koopas we fought on the way to Isla Tortuga was patrolling that area to make sure the knight didn't get the sword." Kalliel chuckled. "He'll be mighty peeved when he finds out that it's you."

"Alright…" Luigi said uneasily. "Yeah, he'll probably send King Boo after me."

"Relax, he doesn't-a have the portraificationer, we're fine." Mario said clapping a hand on his Brother's shoulder.

Luigi swallowed hard and nodded. "Let's go get the house cleaned up…" he sighed.

* * *

The three Manticores sat on their haunches on the floor in Kamek's quarters. Silent.

Grym sat trembling slightly. "He's gonna kill us when he gets back…"

"Shh…" Loky shushed him with a flick of his tail.

"He's gonna kill us…" Grym whimpered.

A rumble from a nearby volcano shook the base of the castle. "He won't…he's not that nice…" Judges said calmly.

"Y'know…when he's in that magikoopa body…I can't take him seriously…" Loky grimaced. Judges merely rolled his eyes. The door opened, causing them all to suck in their breaths.

"I guess it _is _a good thing Kammy came along…I have more time to do what I want," a rather jovial voice said as the door opened wider. Kamek looked surprised to see the three beasts in his quarters. "Back so soon, Judges?"

The Manticore said nothing.

"Tell me…did you find out who our little friend is? Hmm?" His smile dropped a bit when they all turned their eyes to the floor. "Did you get rid of the sword?" Nothing. He frowned. "Did you bring me a shard?...a fragment?…" He gritted his teeth, "Anything?" He sighed. When they said nothing, he looked down at Judges' paw.

"Who is it?" Kamek snarled. "You can't hide it…Who is the new knight?"

"Plumber…" Loky whimpered out of the corner of his mouth. Kamek raised his eyebrows and calmly removed his glasses before cleaning them on his robe. "Which one?" He asked stoically.

"Luigi…" Judges muttered. A klink was heard as Kamek dropped his spectacles. His mouth twitched. "How amusing…" He picked up his glasses and slipped them back on over his beady black eyes. Though he looked rather feeble in that withered old Magikoopa body, the three Manticores knew better than to speak out of line. Kamek did something then that instilled more fear in the beasts than any they had ever known. He smiled.

"I think…this may play to our advantage… This world's gonna fall...in time." His eyes flashed menacingly. "I just need my old body back. That's why I created you three." He gently patted Judges on top of the head. "You're going to help me, am I right?"

"Yeah!" Loky said, grinning. Judges rolled his eyes. He relaxed a little, glad that they had escaped their master's wrath. "Now…" Kamek started, wringing his hands. "I'll ask again…did you bring me anything?"

"Well, we were passing through… um…the kingdom… and we…found…" Grym started.

"Spit it out…" Judges sighed.

Each of the beast's tentacles retracted into their bodies and pulled out a painting. Kamek found it somewhat odd that they could simply pull these large paintings out of their bodies. They set them on the ground and moved away.

"Why did you bring these? …ah…" He said, spying the one of King Boo and Bowser. The corner of his mouth drew upwards into a grin. "Yes, this will do just fine." He ran a paw down the side of it. "Who are these two?" He nodded to Van Gore and Bogmire's paintings, respectably.

"We don't know about this one," Judges said, tapping his claw on Van Gore's frame. "But this one may be a missing piece," he tapped Bogmire's frame. "According to the plaque beneath his painting in the gallery we got this from, he is a manifestation of fear and despair."

Kamek thoughtfully touched the painting. "Reminds me of my dear Shadow Queen…eh…urm, nothing…bring me my wand."

"You guys did very well…" Kamek said to them, wand in hand. One more thing I need you to do for me before the week is out. Try negotiating with our Northern neighbors." He looked out the window to the North, past the three huge volcanoes that fed the lava fields of Dark land's capital. Past the black-sand deserts, lava floes and rocky terrain stretched a huge mountain range, marking the border between the Darkland Kingdom and the Kingdom of Ice: IceLand.

"See to it that King Windbag stays to his own business, the master doesn't want him interfering," Judges muttered to Loky. He nodded and disappeared from the tower of Bowser's keep. With a flourish of his wand, Kamek slammed the black jewel at the top against the wall, causing it to shatter. The jewel fell in crystal clear shards, leaving a quivering black mass on the ground. Kamek took it into his hand and squeezed it, gasping out a raspy growl as it spread up his arm. "Saving it for a rainy day…That day's here…"

His now black hand touched the canvas, causing it to shimmer. A black shape oozed out of the painting and slithered over to a corner, where it took the form of a thin, purple specter that seemed to stretch up to the ground.

Judges and Grym stared as Bogmire reared up over their heads.

"Ahh…free at last…" he seethed through his liquid-like mouth. He spotted the two black beasts and a magikoopa. "Little Magikoopa," it began, "I must thank you for releasing me…but you will be my first victim-AAH!" The ghost's deadly speech was cut short as Kamek's now-black arm shot out and into his chest.

"So much despair…pure evil…I like it…Your purpose has been served, now silence your pathetic musings…" The shady form of Bogmire disappeared as Kamek retracted his shadowy appendage. He opened his hand and stared down at the quivering black mass in his paw. "Better late than never." With another groan, he absorbed the second fragment; doubling over then standing back up as half of his face was enveloped in black before fading back to its original color.

Off in the distance, the three, closely-grouped volcanoes flared.

* * *

At the top of a peak in the dividing range between Darkland and IceLand, an Icelandic scout sat astride a large white-scaled dragon, a looking glass held up to his eye. He lowered it with a grunt. He was one of the Valdyr, the King of IceLand's most powerful warriors. The Valdyr were composed of Sut-Ulfr, the 'Winter-Wolf' tribe. They hailed from the icy highlands of IceLand; vast plateaus of tundra that lay betwixt huge, snowy peaks. They were nothing short of anthromorphic wolves. Vicious and fiercely loyal.

This one, named Geyma, wiped the ice crystals that were forming on his muzzle before looking through the spyglass again. "Neinn vegr…" (No way…) He growled in heavy Icelandic, lowering it. Through the blizzards, he could see smoke and ash being thrown into the air by far-off volcanoes. He turned his dragon away and plodded a few feet down the snow-covered mountain trail before turning his torso to face the way he had come and holding up his palm. "Issbalkr!" (Ice Wall!) He barked into the wind. A rumble shook the mountainside as thick Glacier ice rose out of the ground, forming a barrier between the white, Icelandic side of the mountains and the ash-covered slopes of Darkland's side. He urged the white dragon into a run before it spread its wings and leapt into the air.

The next morning found Geyma running up the steps of the great Isskastali, the Ice Castle; home to the country's great king—Magnus Windbag. He entered the heavy doors into the front hall which bustled with the activities of the castle servants, guards, soldiers, and a few fellow Valdyr. He verified himself with the King's guards before he was allowed into the cavernous throne-room, known to all as the Crystal hall. His bushy tail whipped back and forth in agitation as he removed his helm.

Inside the empty throne room, upon the throne sat King Windbag. His hands were folded in front of his face, as he was lost in thought. Upon seeing Geyma, he lowered his hands and gripped the armrests of his throne.

"Y-your majesty!" Announced a nervous young toad with yellow spots on his cap. "Announcing Valdyr Geyma!" The wolf warrior knelt respectfully.

"At ease squire," he said. His voice was rich, deep and commanding. He beckoned for the Valdyr to rise. The clank of light plate armor was heard as Geyma shifted himself out of his kneeling position.

"Something's not right vith our neighbors," he growled in a thick Icelandic accent. "The fire mountains are growing agitated…eruptions are more frequent now, my lord." His ears lay flat against his furry head. The sunlight shone through the windows in the Crystal Hall, casting muffled shadows across the room as they struck the numerous flags and standards flying from the rafters.

King Windbag remained silent as he began to think once more. A guard rushed in, babbling in Icelandic.

"(My King, a good-will ambassador from Dark-land to see you, sah!)" He said. Windbag nodded to him and motioned politely for Geyma to leave.

"(Send him in…)"

Windbag squared his jaw and stared at the doors as they were flung open. A man, flanked by two dark Koopatrols strode regally into the room. This newcomer carried himself with much arrogance, his black robes swaying with each step. He stopped and bowed before the great King.

Magnus Windbag was a rather large man, standing at Six feet, eight inches. His face was very Bull-doggish, with a very prominent jaw, large nose and stern, brown eyes that peered out from beneath bushy red eyebrows. A large gold circlet rested upon his brow, signifying his Kingly position. A shock of short, bushy red hair, wiry and flecked with grey stood out in all directions on his head. He wore a black turtleneck over his barrel-like chest, with a broad leather belt wrapped around his thick middle. A large, dark red king's robe, bordered with wolf fur draped his muscular frame with a long forest green cape hanging about his shoulders. He was clad in a simple pair of black dress slacks, and leather shoes, giving him a rather sharp appearance. All in all, he appeared every bit of royalty that he was.

"Hail, Windbag-Folkvarthr," stated the black-robed man. Folkvarthr literally translated from Icelandic to "Guardian of the people." It was Magnus's title to those of the court. "I have come to strengthen the relations of our country with yours… It is in Lord Bowser's best wishes that we-" He was cut off as a flash of fury passed over the calm king's face.

"Leave this hall!" He said sternly, causing an echo in the throne room. "Hell spawn…You are not welcome here!"

The ambassador looked both surprised and appalled. He wiped a few strands of greasy black hair from his thin face. "No need to be foul-tempered your majesty. I have been sent by lord Bowser to-"

"Cut the crap!" Windbag bellowed. Though his country was rather medieval in their ways (No technology was able to work up there) He was often referred to as a "Modern king stuck in a medieval world." So it wasn't surprising that he frequently used slang in his manners. "You were not sent here by Bowser."

The click of crossbows was heard from the balconies. "Now," Windbag muttered calmly. "Answer me these questions…failure to cooperate will result in your death." The balconies were packed with marksmen, their bows trained on the three at the center.

"What is your name… no beatin' around the bush. Come on now, out with it!"

"Loky…"

"What is your purpose here?"

"To strengthen the ties between our countries at the request of my king."

Windbag laughed. "You were not sent by Bowser…" He said one final time. "Leave my hall, I will not tell you again. When you get back to Darkland, tell your master that I want no part in his schemes!"

Loky remained, unsure of whether to go or not. Windbag's hand flew up to his circlet and he began to remove it, a growl coming from his cavernous chest. "Do not make me angry." On his forehead between his eyes, shone a bright triquetra mark.

"You…you're a-" Loky stammered.

"Mage of the Eidolon order!" When the Koopatrols and Loky did not budge, Windbag set his circlet on his chair and drew an enormous battle axe from behind the back of the throne. He was known on the battlefield as Magnus the Axe for a reason. He advanced on the three with a growl, sending them fleeing towards the exit. When they had left his castle, the guards retreated back to their duties as the King replaced his weapon and placed the circlet back on his head.

"King Windbag?" the toad asked as he sat down rubbing his temples. "Did you r-really need to be so hard with them?" he asked. Windbag stood up.

"Yes…" He looked to his squire and smiled. "I know I'm supposed to show better manners… but know these two things, lad… one; King Bowser knows not to send goodwill ambassadors here. We agreed on that a long time ago. We keep our ties connected by maintaining a strict policy of what I like to call 'Leaving-each-other-the-hell-alone.' Two…" He said as he made his way out of the throne room. "There are no humans in Darkland…"

The squire's eyes widened in surprise.


	23. Reunion

A/N: The sgian-dubh is pronounced (Skin-Dew) it's Scottish. Another thing—I write this in my spare time…I've been pretty busy lately, so I haven't had much time to work. I'm only in High school. Thank you for bearing with me and thanks for the reviews, but please be patient with the updates. Don't worry though, I have no intention by any means to just let this thing drop, okay?

Now on to chapter 23.

* * *

**Chapter 23: Reunion**

"B-But King Windbag!" The panicky young retainer babbled as he followed his leader, picking up the baggy hem of his court robes as he ran to keep pace with the long-legged Viking King. He didn't complain, the robes were considerably nicer than the old peasant's garb he used to wear.

"What kind of a fool does he take me for?!" Windbag muttered to himself as he stamped off to his chambers. "…Sending his Manticore buddy over here, Ha! He'll rue the day he revealed himself to me…What is it boy?" His tone instantly became lighter as he addressed his servant.

"A mage of Eidolon, sir? B-but I thought if Kamek ever found one, he would see to it that whoever it was… was eliminated." The king stopped before erupting into hearty laughter.

"Lad? When have I _ever _been defeated in battle?" The king said through a smile.

"But what about Bowser when he turned you into a-" The servant began, referring to when Bowser used surprise magic attacks to turn the Great Windbag into a Monty Mole and placed his son, Lemmy in the rule of IceLand.

"That didn't count, he cheated…" Windbag said quickly, dismissing the matter. "Anyway…If Kamek ever pokes his nose in my country…I will be there personally to cleave it from his face," the king snarled. "Let it be known throughout the Mushroom World that IceLand is and always has been a haven for the Priory…It makes no difference if Kamek knows I'm one of them." He shrugged before continuing. "What's it going to matter? A new knight had been found to take the reigns. Where Kalliel Drago left off, this new one begins…Now if you will excuse me," he said, pardoning himself.

The servant stood alone in the hallway. He looked out of a nearby window at the cloudy sky. What the King said had been true—IceLand held, not only the greatest concentration of humans in the Mushroom World, but it had been a haven for the Eidolon order dating back to its beginnings—containing hundreds of mages and followers of Lazarus who fled during the great purges. So many stars had fallen to Earth here, it really didn't surprise anyone.

Despite his former tyrannical ways, Magnus Windbag had been one of the greatest rulers of the Great Kingdom of IceLand. Whenever a battle was fought, he was always at the front lines, fighting with the bloodrage that was so common amongst the Northerner Royalty such as himself. Undefeated in battle, he had a reason to be sure of himself. The servant was able to relax a little more now. He trusted his great king—Kamek would never show his face here, not without facing serious consequences.

The room Windbag had entered was his personal chambers; consisting of a full-sized dining room, his bed-chamber and another room which led down to the castle's main forge. He had found a hobby in smithing, discovering that it had been an excellent way to relieve stress. That forge was where all of the weapons and armor for the military and the Valdyr were made and stored, many of which were of his own creation.

He stood in the center of the expansive room and drew a sgian-dubh from his belt. Examining the small knife, he poked the tip, drawing a bead of blood on his finger to test its sharpness. Kneeling down, he gently scratched a star-shape into the floor, inside of which, he carved a picture of a diamond. Around the picture he scratched a number of star glyphs before scratching a small triquetra into the center of the diamond. He replaced the small knife back into his belt before placing his hand on his chest. When he removed it, an orb the size of a billiard ball and the color of snow hovered, crackling and steaming over his palm.

Frost quickly formed on the outside of the ball as Windbag gently placed it onto the center of his drawing before placing both hands over it and pushing it into the picture. The ball disappeared completely, filling the etchings with the same cold light it emitted. With a flash of light and a blast of cold air, a large crystal-clear shard of ice pushed up from the frozen floor with a popping rumble.

Windbag cleared his throat and, taking out his wand, tapped the side of it three times. "I wish to speak to Princess Peach Toadstool." He said in a commanding voice. The Ice crystal grew hazy before showing the clear image of Princess Peach. "Ah, my lady, 'tis an honor to speak with you again," he said with a bow.

"Likewise, King Windbag," Peach said cheerfully, she noticed his concerned expression. "What is the matter?"

Windbag explained to her about the "goodwill" ambassador from Darkland. "…I merely am requesting a chance to voice my concern to the Congress about this. This isn't funny anymore…Kamek's wanting to get his grimy little paws on my country!"

Peach shook her head. "Hold on, Magnus," she said, raising her arms slightly. "Kamek, you say? Are you sure Bowser's not looking to annex that Eastern province again?"

Windbag opened his mouth to plunge into the quarrel the Eidolon knights have had with Kamek, but seeing as he was somewhat pressed for time, he let it be. "That could very well be…" He had a bit of a problem with jumping to conclusions a little too much, especially when it dealt with military manners. Despite his eagerness to fight, the country's army was always itching for conflict; but in the later years of his ruling, it had been a time of relative peace. The fact that the only beings capable of transforming into humans were Kamek's Manticores put him at unease. He chuckled. "…And maybe I'm wrong…But, I still think someone over there is preparing to launch an invasion of some kind…Won't be the first time," he grumbled.

Peach nodded sincerely. "Thank you for informing me nonetheless. I will personally see to it that it is brought up in the court after the Winter Ball." She bowed to him. They both said their thanks and with another wave of his wand, King Windbag cancelled the spell. The snowy ball leapt into his hand after the crystal melted back into the ice of the floor. With a small flash of light, Windbag squeezed it, causing it to disappear into his palm. He removed his robes and donned a brown canvas work apron and dragon-hide work gloves before retreating to his forge.

He remained silent as he placed a bar of steel into the furnace and pumped the bellows, watching as the furnace began to glow with a healthy orange hue. He removed it and placed it on a large anvil. The ring of the hammer against the metal was music in his ears as red sparks flew with each powerful smack. When he had gained the desired shape, he immersed the hot, red metal into a barrel of water. He repeated the process of heating and hammering, heating and hammering until finally, he stuck the red blade into the water barrel one last time before fitting it into a sturdy hilt and pommel. Once that was secure, he balanced the hot blade across his finger, just in front of the cross-guard. Though it was a long, thick, two-handed sword, it balanced without any waver at all. Still remaining silent, he expertly flipped it into the air, caught it by the hilt in one hand and in a moment of quick fury, flung it with all of his might into the solid stone wall. It hit with a THUNK and sat embedded deep in the stone, quivering. He clenched his fists, muscles flexing.

A smirk appeared on his lips as he wandered over to the window and leaned his elbows on the sill. He had felt the shock wave even here in Isskastali, but _who _was the new knight. Who?

He would soon find out. The annual Winter Ball was fast approaching, which would be followed by the semi-annual Alliance Conference; where the rulers of the countries allied with the Mushroom Kingdom would convene to discuss issues regarding their domains.

The IceLand king closed his eyes, chilly wind ruffling his wiry hair. He would need to prepare his country for an invasion…because that's what he thought was forefront on his adversary's mind…he just hoped, for dignity's sake, that he was right.

* * *

"Thanks for helping me with the repairs, guys," Luigi said the next morning as he, Wario, and Mario smoothed out the putty they had just put over a gash in the wall. They had the TV on in the back, the newscaster excitedly giving the play by play of a soccer match between DK and Yoshi.

"Yeah, just know I did it because I'm better friends with you than him," the rotund man grunted, referring to Mario as he gathered up the rest of his tools. Luigi casually hooked his thumbs into the straps of his overalls, staring idly at the television.

"Likewise, I'm-a sure," Mario retorted. The announcer screamed as DK slammed the ball into the goal with his fist.

"Aw, come on," Luigi and Mario said, sliding down onto the couch. Wario joined them, "Is it legal for him to be hitting the ball with his hands?"

"Well, as-a long as he's-a not grabbing it, it should-a be fine. Come on Yoshi!" Mario cheered.

Luigi remained silent as he looked over at the large blue dinosaur snoozing on the living room rug. His nose and foot twitched as he lay in the beam of sunlight that was filtering in through the newly refitted windows.

"Hey," Wario poked him in the arm, "What are you gonna do about him?"

Luigi shrugged, "I'm going to have to build a stable for him before the hard frosts set in. Until then, I don't mind that he stays in here with me."

"Heh, just so long as he don't leave you no presents," Wario chortled. Luigi smiled as he rolled his eyes.

"Here," he removed a leather pouch from his pocket and tossed at Wario. He opened it, eyes glittering as he looked at the bunch of gold coins inside. "Something for your trouble." Luigi somewhat regretted giving it to him. He knew Wario constantly, yet discretely, kept his eye out for places where Luigi stashed his fortune; he knew this would only spur his search on even more. Fat chance of him finding anything, though.

"Heh, heh, maybe I should help you out a little more often, eh?" He laughed. He waddled out of the door. The brothers waited a few minutes before they heard the roar of Wario's car engine as he sped away before they began laughing.

"Great personality that Wario, a real keeper," Mario said with a smirk.

"Hey, why don't you hang out the rest of the day? We never get a chance to do that much anymore," Luigi suggested. Mario nodded, saying it was a great idea. He snapped his fingers, "Oh, I almost-a forgot!" He grabbed his brother by the arm and drug him into the kitchen and out the back. Maverick peeped as he watched his friends leave before floating quickly through the walls to join them.

"Well-a Hello there," Mario said noticing the boo as he flew in circles around them.

"Come on, Mav," Luigi said as he followed Mario into the autumn woods. They traveled quickly for several minutes before stopping in a small clearing.

"Don't-a make any sudden moves," Mario said, stopping them. "He's a bit jittery."

"M-Mario? What-? Who's _he_?" Luigi asked, taking Maverick into his arms. Mario gave a short whistle. Luigi gave a gasping cry as a large, black chain-chomp bounded out of the underbrush and leapt onto him. He fell to the ground with an "Oof!" as the chain-chomp licked at his face with loud woofs.

"Aw, come on bro; don't tell me you don't remember him?" Mario chided, laughing at Luigi's panicked look. The chain-chomp covered Luigi in another wave of slobber as he ran his tongue up his face.

"Holy…Chompy!" Luigi exclaimed as the chain-chomp leapt off of him. He had remembered that as very young kids, they kept a small chain-chomp for a pet. Knowing that they had a limited grasp on vocabulary at the time, Luigi had named it the first thing that had come to mind--Chompy. Now, after more than 20 years, he was staring up at the large, dog-like creature. Its large pink tongue lolled out from between massive white teeth; small black eyes beaming down at its old masters.

"Yep," Mario said as Luigi patted their old pet. "I found him chained to a rock outside of an old Darkland outpost when I was out adventuring earlier. He didn't try to snap at me when I first approached him and after a while, I got to thinking." Mario said, tapping a finger at his temple. He pulled Luigi over to its right side, "See? He's still got that scar from where he crashed into that rock pile when we were kids. I thought it was a bit strange how a chain-chomp didn't try to attack."

"Oh, man," Luigi sighed as he rubbed the grinning creature.

"I thought, maybe you'd want him back since you spent more time with him when we were kids," Mario shrugged with a smile. "Happy belated, bro." Luigi paused before squeezing him in a tight hug, practically lifting him off of the ground.

"Geez, Weege, where'd you get a grip like that?" Mario said as Luigi put him back down. Luigi just grinned at him. He placed a hand on the excited chain-chomp, calming it before speaking.

"I…got so wrapped up in what I was doing; I didn't stop to think about your gift…" Luigi said, an uneasy grimace pulling at his mouth. Mario smiled with concern.

"Don't worry about it. Material possessions mean very little to me anymore." Mario turned and made for the edge of the clearing. "You know what would be the greatest present? Me beating you at your own game…" Mario smirked.

Luigi returned the look. He knew what his brother meant. "You can play me…but I'm pretty sure Breaker, Hammer and Marius wouldn't be too happy with the idea of giving you the win." He picked up Chompy's chain and began walking the dog-like creature through the woods after his brother.

"Well then, you'd-a better get your butt down to the stadium and sign yourself up for the next cup."

"Oh-hoho, is that a challenge?" Luigi questioned, breaking into a run. The Chain-chomp bounded eagerly along next to him as Maverick swerved in and out amongst the trees.

* * *

Loky winced as a large paw, cuffed him roughly on the side of his head, knocking him to the ground.

"Idiot!" Judges snarled. He had met his second-in-command on the ash fields at the base of the volcanic mountain ridge between the two countries of Darkland and Iceland. Now fuming, he paced back and forth as Loky stayed submissively on the ground. "When I said make sure Windbag didn't get involved with the master's plans, I _didn't_ mean expose yourself to him."

Loky remained silent, knowing that any provocation would cost him his life.

"Looks like I'll have to clean yet another mess of yours up…" He wandered towards the direction of the Darkland Capital and Bowser's keep. "You are a trickster, Loky; quick and clever. Clever as you may be," he said slowly, "you lack common sense. Until I get back, stay here." With that, the Manticore leader galloped away, leaving his subordinate on the barren wastes. The warmth from the nearby lava fields was blown onto him by a passing breeze, carrying several wisps of shadowy smoke away from his body.

He spat in disgust. True, he had acted on the spur of the moment, but Judges was going to get what was coming to him. Judges didn't give him enough credit. A wave of bitterness and jealousy crossed through Loky's being. How he had gotten to be the favorite of Kamek was beyond his guess.

He sighed angrily, flopping down onto the ground. A cloud of fluffy ashes rose into the air and was carried away by the wind.

"25 years since we've last walked this earth," Loky grumbled to himself. Lulled by the warmth from the lava fields which supplied all of the power to Darkland via thermal generators, he allowed himself to drift into sleep.

* * *

"Ah, there, all signed up," Luigi said as he and Mario nimbly on the ground after popping out of a warp pipe. A quick visit to the Palace stadium ensured that both of their names would be in the brackets for the next soccer tournament. The two brothers laughed and joked with each other all the way back to the mansion. Chompy and Maverick, who had been chasing each other about the yard the whole time they were gone barked and whimpered happily as they greeted the brothers.

With a loud "SLLUURRPP!" Chompy drug his tongue up Luigi's face, coating him in another wave of slobber before doing the same to Mario. Maverick licked Luigi's nose in his typical fashion before giggling in a tinkling voice. Luigi wrung his hat out and wiped the drool from his face before patting Maverick on the head. "You two are going to turn me into a walking spitball before long."

Luigi removed his cell phone for the third time and checked the call log. "Hmm…" He sighed. "Daisy hasn't called or anything…I haven't heard a word from her since I was on the island."

Mario smiled, a realization striking him. "Heh, sorry bro, I completely forgot to mention that she needed to go back to Sarasaland. State business and all that."

Luigi looked at him flatly, but smiled, "That information would have been quite useful a while ago." He put the cell phone back into his overalls' pocket, "Better not bother her if it's monarchical business. Any idea on when she'll be back?"

"Peach says she'll be back for the Winter Ball." Mario looked curiously at the look that had appeared on his brother's face. "Luigi?"

Luigi placed a hand on his older, yet shorter brother. "Good. It'll give me enough time to tell you a story and maybe find what I'm looking for also. Come on."

The two brothers walked back to the mansion together, all the while Luigi was working up his resolve to tell Mario about their parents. Another issue that was up for discussion…what they were to wear to the Winter Ball.


	24. Illuminarium

A/N: I'm Baaaaack! So sorry for the wait, but yay! Hiatus is over! Woot, yeehaw, etc…. please enjoy this next chapter. I'll be updating regularly again, so don't worry.

I did promise you guys that I wouldn't let it die. So here's to you all for being so patient.

**Chapter 24: Illuminarium**

Luigi grabbed a few things from the house, buckled the large sword to his back and returned to the front where Mario stood waiting; Maverick floating to and fro on the breeze.

Much to the brothers' surprise, Kalliel appeared with a contented sigh as the chilly wind ruffled his dark hair. Luigi and the ghostly knight exchanged a short, hushed conversation before they set off down the path.

"So, uh…where are we going?" Mario asked as they walked quietly past Chompy, who was busy snoozing in the sun.

"We're taking a detour, I'm afraid…You'll see," Luigi said. "I think it'll make things much clearer for you…and for me; Tux-shopping's going to have to wait until tomorrow…" he said slowly. They arrived at the edge of the woods a ways down the road and hopped into the old stone-colored pipe. The two brothers jumped in and shot down the tube, only to come barreling out into darkness. Luigi cautiously stood up and dusted himself off, the scabbard clinking slightly.

"Where…?" Mario began, stopping when he heard Luigi and Kalliel's muttering voices.

"You know what you have to do?" Kalliel asked lightly.

"I think…" Luigi said hesitantly, "but what good's it going to do?"

"It'll light the cavern and disable the sentinels."

Mario remained silent as Luigi pulled out a flashlight and flicked it on. The small beam flashed about a few times as Luigi searched for his brother. Mario held up a hand to shield his eyes from the light as Luigi found him.

"Shall we?" Kalliel asked, beckoning to them both. The small group set off across the vast cavern as Luigi began to speak. To Mario, Luigi's voice sounded as if he were underwater, but he still could hear every word.

It took the entire time walking (To where, Mario didn't have a clue) but Luigi got his story out, often times running into large pillars because he was so concentrated on the narrative. Mario remained silent the entire time, waiting for him to finish.

"Dad died trying to protect mom and…mom died trying to protect us…" Luigi said finally. Maverick had settled himself into his arms in an attempt to comfort him. Mario looked up at the massive doors they had stopped in front of; keeping a set face.

"Mario?...you okay?" Luigi asked hesitantly. Mario turned and looked at him before smiling.

"I guess that meant they really loved us, huh?" He asked. Luigi swallowed, smiling nervously. Mario clapped a hand on his brother's shoulder. "I'm sure they wouldn't have wanted us to grieve for too long. They would have wanted us to carry on doing what we're doing." He paused for a moment. "I'm sure mom would be proud of you…" he patted Luigi on the shoulder before walking over to the massive doors. "So," He said, taking the brass ring that served as the opener, "you gonna show me what's in here?"

"Don't open that!!" Kalliel and Luigi shouted at the same time as a stony, taloned hand swiped out, catching Mario by the overalls. Luigi rushed forward, drawing the large blade with a loud _SHING_. "LET GO OF MY BROTHER!!" He bellowed, hacking downward. A large chunk of stone fell to the ground after he struck the sentinel's arm. Mario fell to the ground with a thump. "Get back! Get back!" Luigi commanded, jabbing the glittering blade through the slightly opened door. Hissed and shrieks could be heard within as the gargoyle-like creatures returned to the depths of the palace. Silence followed them.

Mario sat panting on the ground. He adjusted his hat as Luigi helped him back up.

"I thought you handled that quite well," Kalliel said with a smile. Luigi put the sword back in its sheath. "Sorry bro," he mumbled, "forgot about those." Mario raised his eyebrow at him. Luigi shrugged, "they're overprotective."

Mario put up his hands, "okay I'll take your word for it. Why did that thing attack?"

"You don't have a mark," Kalliel said, tapping his forehead where a glowing Triquetra flared to life.

Luigi put both hands on the brass ring and pulled. The door opened a little wider, allowing them inside.

Kalliel led the way down the winding corridors while Mario and Luigi continued their conversation. "So how is it that you remember all of this?" Mario asked him.

"I dunno…I guess it just…it's just one of those things that effects ya'…" he sighed. Maverick let out a loud snarl, causing Luigi to jump. Maverick was bristling angrily at some more of the statuesque sentinels who were eyeing Mario from the far hallway.

"Here we are…quickly you two…" Kalliel said as he ushered them through another set of large, ornate doors.

"This is…" Mario said dumbfounded. He shook his head. "The Thousand year…?"

"No…Built in the same style by the same beings, though," Kalliel said as he and Luigi walked to the center diadem. They were in the room where Kalliel had retrieved the scabbard. "There," Kalliel pointed to a small slot in the very center of the ornate design. "Go ahead…"

"I don't need to say anything, do I?" Luigi asked. Mario looked on, perplexed. Kalliel shook his head as Luigi walked to the center, drawing the sword.

"Okay…here we go." He pointed it upwards before turning it so it was point-down. With a mighty thrust, Luigi jammed the sword down into the slot. The same fiery blue/white light that had been on the book now spread down the floor along the design. Luigi darted back against the wall as a crackling light gathered on the sword. There was a bright flash before the mass of light shot up through the ceiling, sending the blue light across the roof and down the walls.

Outside, the light gathered at the top of the palace before splitting. Each piece hit one of the carved columns before jumping to another. A ball of light formed in every one of the statue-columns outstretched hands, causing a growing light to illuminate the cavern. A light as bright as day finally filtered in through the stained-glass windows near the top of the room.

Mario and Luigi looked at each other before running double-time back out to the front. They passed several hallways where the sentinels now stood motionless on their pedestals as if they had been statues all along. Mario and Luigi came to a skidding halt outside, their mouths open in shock. The light now revealed the cavern completely. The cave itself seemed to stretch on for a mile or two in all directions with elaborately carved statues of men and women in surcoats placed in symmetrical rows. They weren't columns at all, for they really didn't look that high compared to the cave roof. Each of these monuments held a ball of bright light which cast a revealing glow all over the expansive room.

"Illuminarium…" Kalliel whispered from the circular room as he pulled the sword from the ground. The cave had been lit.

Luigi's eyes widened as movement began all around them. Ghosts of every shape and form came drifting out of the walls and palace while countless others in wispy robes appeared out of thin air. Maverick gave a squeak and hunkered down behind Luigi, his pink eyes peering over his shoulder. Luigi felt a tremor run through his body. So many ghosts in one place? It was too much to bear as he and Mario slunk backwards a bit.

A pair of soft footsteps echoed from behind them. Mario and Luigi hesitantly looked at each other before slowly turning around to face two large people clad in white robes. Luigi blinked. They weren't people. They were wolves. Wolves that walked on two legs.

Both identical, they gave a toothy grin to the brothers.

* * *

"King Windbag!" The servant said out of breath. "A representative from the mushroom kingdom to see you!" Windbag turned his attention up from a new spearhead he was honing.

"'Bout time I get some news!" He grinned as a relatively familiar face entered his forge room. He knew this man, thankfully and took his hand in his large one and shook it vigorously.

"Terribly sorry for the intrusion," the man chirped as he adjusted his glasses. The man was in his mid thirties with Blonde hair and the beginnings of a short beard. His build was thin and lanky, but he carried himself with confidence. "Princess Peach sent me about that guy from Darkland."

"Good good…It was a dumb move to send one of them over here, and I'm a bit suspicious."

"Don't worry; she said everything will get hammered out at the congress this year." He continued. The King told the man of everything that Loky had said, the conversation lasting for several minutes.

"Yes, yes," the man said adjusting his glasses. He cast a quick glance out of one of the windows, his smile dropping a bit before turning back to the king. He smiled warmly, "I must be getting back."

Kind Windbag cocked his head, "You sure? You only just arrived."

"It is quite alright, sir. I was sent with great haste to quell your fears as fast as possible. Something is already being done about it and it is the princess' wish that you do not worry yourself. With that, my lord, I must depart. Her Majesty expects me back as quickly as possible."

"Very well. Godspeed!" He said in his booming voice as the man waved back before departing the castle. Windbag nodded to himself, a new feeling of reassurance and relief filling him. He turned and looked out the window at whatever he was looking at. Nothing.

Windbag shrugged and went back to his smithing.

* * *

Once outside of Isskastali, the Mushroom Kingdom representative hurried down the cobble-stone road until he passed by some large boulders by the side of the road.

A shadowy tentacle whipped out and got him around the throat, causing him to yelp out in surprise. "Shut your mouth," a growling voice ordered as a large lion-like creature hopped to the top of the boulder. A glowing white mark on his paw shimmered in the snowy air.

"You did your part very well…but we're not through with you yet," Judges snarled in his face. The blonde man squared his jaw, fingers grasping the tentacle as it lifted him into the air near the Manticore's face.

"The mushroom regency will know I have been missing…" he choked out. Judges watched him, clearly amused.

"Will they?" His eyes narrowed. "You almost gave me away in there…I told you keep your eyes on the king…"

"It's kind of hard when you're flitting around like an overgrown bat…ugh!" He gasped as the tentacle around his neck tightened.

"Keep talking like that and you'll never see the light of day again…" With a flick of the tentacle, he sent the man flying a few feet away into a snow bank. "Your purpose has not been fully served yet… so you will be under my jurisdiction until further notice."

The man pushed himself off of the icy ground and, tasting blood, spat. The snow was stained faint red from where his lips were.

"Do what you want…you'll get no more cooperation out of me…" he panted, shaking some of the snow from his hair. Judges smirked.

"Your cooperation is not needed…the role of hostage is suited for you at this time." The tentacle slid around his waist as judges lifted him into the air. "As for how long you live…that will be up to Master Kamek to decide. All we really needed you for was to get Old Man Windbag off our backs." He took a few paces up the hill, "Though I must say," he added as he squeezed his captive slightly, "You have some degree of respect from me…valor of your type is rare in the Mushroom Kingdom."

The man finally lost consciousness as Judges sped away with him.

* * *

"Forgive our intrusion," the pair of wolves said with bows. "We did not mean to surprise you." Mario and Luigi exchanged glances as ghosts began flitting to and fro inside of the palace.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves," they said. "I am Randulf," said one. "And I am Hrolf," They smiled. "We come from the Ice Land Valdyr to serve you, lord." They bowed their heads and Luigi could see the one glaring difference between them. Randulf had a silver spot on his head whereas Hrolf didn't.

"Thank you…um…could you tell me…why are…?" Luigi asked brokenly, pointing up at the ghosts who were floating in and out of the palace.

"They are the wanderers," Randulf said. "Spirits who bound themselves to the Eidolon order. Once the purging wars were fought and Kalliel vanquished, they scattered to the far corners of the earth to lie in wait for the coming of the new knight."

"Do not be alarmed by them," Hrolf said. "I think you will find them all to be useful in one way or another. Come," he beckoned for them all to follow.

"You see, they are craftsmen, seamstresses, warriors. All here to do your bidding." Randulf said as they entered the expansive infirmary where numerous ghosts in robes were darting about, destroying the old sheets of the beds and fitting new ones on them.

Looking out of the windows, he saw many more ghosts out on the fringes of the massive cave, starting to till the soil. "What are they doing?" he asked.

"Getting the land ready for farming." Luigi looked at him flatly. "We're underground…how can they grow anything?"

"Do you see the lights?" Hrolf pointed to the lights that the statues were holding. "They radiate a light as pure as the sun's rays. It's perfect. We have the room."

"And they started doing this all without instruction?" Mario asked.

Kalliel nodded as he appeared in the room, holding Luigi's sword. "It is in their souls to do so. The majority of the ones you see out there are remnants of the servants from all of the previous knights, old disciples, etc." Luigi nodded in understanding as he slipped the sword into its sheath.

"Even if you didn't give them any instruction on what to do, they will go about their business as usual," Randulf said.

"Ahem," Came a stately voice behind them. Luigi and the others turned to face a rather rotund ghostly man in elegant robes. "Begging you pardon, Excellency," he said regally. "But we have something for you."

He bowed and backed away as two ghosts came forward bearing a folded piece of cloth. Luigi raised an eyebrow as he picked it up and watched it unfold. His mouth dropped open. It was a surcoat, exactly identical to Kalliel's, only a rich green color. It held the exact same gold embroidery and all of the ornate designs. Up close it was a thing of beauty, heavy canvas material with thick gold threading. Without warning, the two ghosts who had brought it in came forth and unfastened the scabbard before slipping it over his head.

Luigi gave a cry of surprise, as he did not expect their actions. They refastened the scabbard over his body and backed off.

"How does it feel?" Kalliel asked him as Luigi moved around a bit.

"A little heavy…and a little too loose."

"That'll change with time," Kalliel said. "You also have to add in the factor of armor and things of that nature."

"Huh…" Luigi said. "Well, how does it look?"

"Pretty sweet deal you've got going, bro. I'm glad it's you and not me," He gave Luigi a sly smirk, receiving a playful punch in the arm. After a few minutes of shared laughter, the two looked back at the two Valdyr and the ghosts. "What now?" He asked them.

"It's up to you," Randulf said.

"If you have any last words for us, please share them," Hrolf smiled.

"Well…Um, I guess just make sure things are running smoothly until I get back and…stuff," He looked at them. "Sorry, I'm just not used to giving orders."

"That will improve with time, my lord." The Valdyr bowed. "Now, you may return to the surface to prepare for the winter council," they continued. "As a knight of the order, it is another one of your duties to not only protect the princess, but to attend the congress as well. Farewell to you, my lord. We shall ready the rest of your formal wear for the senate." With that, they ushered everyone out.

Outside of the palace, they made their way back to the pipe, with Mario looking all around in awe at the scenery. Luigi paid no heed to him as he looked down at his new garment. It was the same color green as his mother's, with long, wide sleeves that ended at the elbows, allowing for easy movement should he get stuck in a situation. The coat draped down his figure, split down the sides from the waist down to allow better movement.

"Luigi?" Mario asked, tearing him away from his thoughts. "We're out now," he motioned to the change of scenery around them. He really must not have been paying attention, for he did not even realize he had already come out of the pipe.

"Huh? Oh, sorry…"

They were almost at the door when they heard a few whooping hollers from a few feet away. Breaker and Hammer came barreling out of the bushes at Luigi.

"Yiyiyiyiii!" They shouted as they tried to pounce on Luigi, who managed to twist out of the way and snagged them by the lip of their shells.

"Aww…it didn't work," Hammer grumbled.

"Well, with the way you two came over screaming the only way I'd miss you guys is if I were blind, deaf and dumb."

Marius chuckled as he came out of the bushes.

"You both'll need to be careful; you were trying to tackle his high holy green-ness," Mario smirked. Luigi opened his mouth to speak.

"No," Mario said. Luigi smirked back at him, "Touché…"

"Oh wow," Marius said as he admired the surcoat. "Is this part of your job too?" Luigi smiled and nodded, "yep."

Marius was about to continue when Hammer butted in, "Luigi, are you going to the big party thing?" Assuming he meant the winter ball, he nodded his confirmation.

"Cool! We were gonna go find something nice to wear, but Shivers called and said that you had signed us up for the next cup, we got too excited," Breaker laughed.

Luigi smiled at his teammates, "That's good. But save some of that energy for the pitch. I heard the competition's fierce this time."

The twins saluted him, "Aye-Aye sir!"

"Hey, Luigi. Why don't you and Mario come into town with us tomorrow," Marius suggested.

"Yeah!" Breaker said, "Mom wants us to find something nice to wear and you guys can get your stuff…ooh, ooh, maybe we can go practice for a little while afterward!"

Hammer bopped him on the head, "Button yer beak, bird-brain…you're babbling!"

"I'm sure we can," Luigi said, hoping to break the two up before a fight broke out.

"'K, see you tomorrow!" The two said before bounding off down the hill. Marius waved at Luigi before turning to find the two already running on home. "He-Hey, you two, wait up!!" Mario said his goodbyes before leaping down a nearby pipe. It surprised Luigi at how well he took it. Well…He knew Mario wasn't the type to let things get to him.

"Hey, Luigi!" Marius called. "Will tell me all about this order thing sometime?"

"Sure!" He waved as Marius grinned before franticly running after the other two Hammer Bros.

"There's something about him that I like," Kalliel said as he scratched his chin. "A sort of…serious optimism and determination." Luigi nodded. "I want to help him find out who he is; I want to help him get his memory back."

Kalliel smiled. "Yes…hmm." Luigi looked at him curiously, "What?"

"You could make him a disciple."

"What?!" Luigi exclaimed. "…Hmm… You're right, I could…but I don't know how." He thought for a while as Kalliel spoke.

"You can look up the 'How to,' in the book. But I think it would be beneficial to the both of you if you took him under your wing, so to speak. I think he is quite capable at handling magic and the burden of secrets," Kalliel said with finality.

Luigi gave a firm nod. "Alright. I'll do it. Anything to help him out." He paused for a moment. "We'll do it tomorrow."

"An excellent call, your Excellency," he gave a low bow.

"That's enough of that," Luigi said, heading back towards the house with Kalliel and Maverick. "I don't really like the formal stuff."

"As you wish," Kalliel chuckled.


	25. A Visitor in the Night

A/N: Oh jeez…sorry for the delay…had some writers block issues…onward we go!

* * *

**Chapter 25: Visitor in the Night**

"Thanks for the breakfast, Ms. Mucavele," Luigi said as he put his plate in the sink the next morning. Mario did the same. The brothers had eaten breakfast at Hammer and Breaker's house before they would set out to find adequate suits for the upcoming ball.

"Anytime, dear," said the female Hammer bro. Marius took the rest of the dishes and aided by Luigi, proceeded to clean them up. Ms. Mucavele fussed over Breaker; the young man trying to dodge his mother as she tried to wipe his face with a wet washcloth. "Oh, do sit still, Breaker. My Goodness, I can't have you running off to town looking like you slept in your food all night."

Breaker finally gave in with a sigh of protest as Marius gave him a shake of his head, which to him meant, 'don't try and fight it, you'll never win.'

Hammer jumped up and switched on the computer that sat in the living room. "Hey Weege. Before we go into town, I gotta show you something!" Luigi smiled as he sat down on the couch. He liked their home. It was small, but very comfy, and it suited the small family of four just fine. While Ms. Mucavele bustled about, trying to clean up the kitchen, Marius took a seat next to Luigi.

"So, what's up with Hammer?" Luigi asked, stretching a bit before putting his hands behind his head to allow his food to digest.

Marius shook his head. "Something…I think you're going to find quite shocking…"

"Here, got it!...no, wait…Marius, can you come help me? You're the computer whiz," Hammer said, hopping up from the chair. Marius took a seat and typed at the keyboard before double clicking on one of the links that had appeared onscreen. "Come here, guys."

Everyone crowded around the computer as a site showcasing an unfinished building along with a few long articles appeared. Luigi raised his eyebrow, "What is it?" Marius clicked the link that said 'Upcoming Cup News.' It was a site dedicated to the upcoming soccer tourney.

"The super…Bowser cup?" Mario asked in disbelief.

"Yeah…let me give you the details." Marius typed away for a moment before reading aloud. "…This year's upcoming soccer cup is sporting quite a few new changes to the old familiar regime. Teams are still comprised of a goalie, three sidekicks and a captain and items of any kind are available for usage. Despite these traditions, a new style is being formatted to create a new type of 'Charged' soccer. Instead of a regular soccer ball, the ball is made of iron that can split in up to six different balls when a captain performs a super strike. On top of that, the ball becomes charged with energy the longer it is held in one team's possession…"

"That sounds intense…" Breaker trailed off.

"…Now to the average soccer fan, this would seem a bit on the wild side, but another upgrade being made to the rules is the element of body armor to protect the legs, arms and torso of the players. Aside from that, the electric fence is still there; ready to snare any unfortunate team member who happens to slide too close. This is still the game the fans of the Mushroom World have come to know and love, but with major alterations. This has become not only a game of competition for the gold, but a fight for survival. This is reporter Mike E. signing off…yadda, yadda, yadda…" Marius finished reading the snippet of the news column.

Luigi whistled, "That's pretty crazy."

"That ain't half of it…" Hammer said, taking the mouse and clicking on the link back to the homepage before clicking on a few other things. "Take a gander at this; they're building a new stadium outside of Mushroom City."

Luigi took a look at the building plans in front of him.

"It's called 'The Vice,'" Marius said, glancing over at Luigi's face. "Guess its projected capacity."

Luigi shrugged. "Uh…Um, shoot I dunno… 'hundred-thousand?"

"Uh-uh, bigger…" Hammer said.

"'Hundred-fifty thousand?"

"Bigger," Breaker chimed in.

"Two fifty K?" Luigi asked in a last-ditch effort.

"Three-hundred eighty-five thousand people," Marius said slowly. Luigi and Mario's mouths dropped.

"What?! Bowser's stadium was the biggest in the League and that only topped off at one hundred thousand," Mario stated.

"Well, it ain't the biggest anymore," Marius sighed. "They've got it half done; it's already bigger than Konga Coliseum. It's only _half_ done!" Marius said.

Luigi stared dumbfounded, "My god, when did they break ground on this?"

"While we were in Tortuga," Hammer said, "They have been hauling major booty since they started. They already had the site done months ago, but actual construction started while we were gone."

"You're kidding me," the brothers said in utter disbelief.

"It also says on here 'Captains who signed up their teams would be advised to contact their local sports office for more information because new rules are being set.' I'm thinking we can probably do that while we're out…what do you think, Weege?"

Luigi shrugged, "That's fine…" He was still staring at the building model.

"Well, you guys better get going if you're gonna beat the crowds," Ms. Mucavele appeared behind them, holding a few backpacks. "I've packed lunches inside these; you all have fun now and stay together. We don't want any more escapades, do we boys?" She said with a stern look at her sons.

"No ma'am," they said quickly before being hugged tightly. There were three backpacks, each of which were taken by all three Hammer bros. "And thanks, you fine young men, for going with them," She said, planting a quick kiss on Mario and Luigi's cheeks. "Just be careful, you two and make sure Hammer and Breaker don't run off again."

"Leslie, you can rest assured that they will be triple guarded," Luigi said with a little bow. Ms. Mucavele blushed a bit, "Y-yes, I know. Oh, Luigi, you know I just worry about them…"

"It's okay," He leaned closer to her, "With sons like them, I'd worry too." She laughed heartily and gave him a playful slap on the shoulder. "Alright, get going, you guys. Have fun!" She waved them off as they headed down the road into Toad Town.

"Your Ma's cool," Mario said with a laugh.

"Yeah, she can be a bit annoying, but…yeah, I guess she _is_ a cool mom," Breaker said proudly.

"Alright, first thing's first. I know a really good place we can look at suits in town. If we can't find anything there, we'll hop a warp pipe to Mushroom city since we need to go there to check the sports department," Luigi said.

"Aye aye, sir!" Breaker and Hammer shouted before dashing off down the road.

"Hey, don't you two go running off!" Marius shouted going after them. Mario and Luigi shrugged before following. With the lot of them running, it didn't take long for them to reach Toad Town. They walked into a suit store where the party proceeded to split up. Luigi wandered the aisles, looking at the various suits and tuxedoes modeled on the mannequins before heading up to the front desk.

"Luigi! Haven't seen your mug around here for a while!" The clerk at the counter greeted.

"Been out and about," he replied. "How's business, Sean?" He asked the nicely dressed toad with the green-spotted cap.

"Business is booming. Especially with the ball coming up? I've had stuff just fly out of here. You're lucky you came now, whoa…just wait 'till after lunch."

"I can imagine."

"So, what can I get for ya?" Sean asked, tucking the pencil in his hand behind his ear. "You looking for something…Classic? Uh…Jazzy, what? I got Armanis…I've also got that style of Tux you like."

"I'm not looking for an Armani and I've been thinking of trying something different," Luigi said. Sean grinned, "What'cha got on your mind?" Luigi took out his cell phone and flipped through a few pictures before finding a copy of the photo of his parents that he kept in his room. He zoomed in on his father and showed him the picture. "Kind of like a Napoleon Jacket, eh?" Sean asked, looking at the picture on the phone. "This fella looks a lot like you." Sean paused for a moment. "Good news though, I got this exact brand in the back, come on." He gave Luigi back his phone and walked to the back room. Luigi followed him. There was something about this toad that Luigi liked. He and his Brother had grown up in Brooklyn before finding their way through a pipe that led to the Mushroom Kingdom- their true homeland. The rest was history, but Sean was a middle-aged Toad who had grown up in the big city, so he had reminded Luigi of the people he used to know. That whole incident had been just over eight years ago.

Once in the back room, Sean started taking his measurements. He mumbled something to himself before hopping down off the stool he was on to get his roster. He opened the book and scribbled a few things down before checking the numbers in the front. "You lose a few pounds?"

"Yeah, traveling does that to you." He kept himself from playfully rolling his eyes. It seemed like everyone was making that comment. Had he really changed that much?

"Alrighty…just a minute." He disappeared for a moment before emerging with a stack of black clothing. He climbed back up on the stool so he was facing Luigi eye to eye and unfolded the jacket. "Try it on." Luigi did as he was bid. After he had the final buttons done up, he stepped back. "Very nice, very nice. You look like your old man." Luigi looked at him. "Excuse me?"

Sean smiled, "Your dad came in here once, a long time ago, and bought that same type of jacket from me. Apollo, right? Hey, don't look so surprised, I keep a book of my customer's names and a mental note of what they look like. Never did come back though."

"Y-yeah…" Luigi winced slightly.

"Oh, hey, I'm sorry, didn't mean to strike a nerve," Sean said sympathetically. Luigi smiled, "It's fine…Really."

"Well, getting' back on track. You wear a nice green shirt under that, it'll look very suave. Here, go try on the pants." Along with the pants, he handed Luigi a dark-green silk shirt. Luigi shrugged and went into one of the changing rooms. A few minutes later, he came out fully decked in the pants, shirt and jacket. Sean nodded with approval. "Very nice. Take a look for yourself." Luigi turned and faced a mirror and was surprised by what he saw. The jacket fit him perfectly, the thick material feeling snug and secure against his chest and shoulders.

"Just lose the mustache, you'll look like your dad," Sean joked. Luigi looked at him, "I'm not losing the 'stache, what's wrong with you?" He laughed. "It's great, I'll take it."

He returned to the front in his normal clothes to see his brother and teammates had already picked out their outfits and had just finished purchasing them from another clerk at the counter. "Great, so we're ready then?" He paid Sean and thanked him before exiting the store. "Alright, so you guys'll have to show me what you picked out later."

"Let's go to the Stadium!" Breaker said, hopping up and down excitedly. The brothers nodded and the five set off for the nearest warp pipe. They found it and were off to Mushroom city in a heartbeat. "Come on, come on, come on!" Breaker said, urging them on. "It's this way!!"

Sure enough, after several minutes of walking, the group came upon a monstrous structure. They stood behind the rope barrier that marked the edge of the site and stared straight up at the unfinished face of the stadium. "That…That's not real…someone pinch me OW! I meant metaphorically, Hammer," Luigi said in a slight daze.

"The office is this way," Marius said, ushering the group along. Breaker grinned as he stared up, "This…is gonna be the superdome of stadiums." The quintet walked into the small building in front of them and were greeted by the lady at the desk. "Hiya! Are you guys Luigi and Mario?"

They nodded and she thumbed through several files on the desk. "Aha, says here you guys signed up yesterday. Actually I'm glad you're here today, I'd like to talk to you about the Bowser cup."

"Oh, uhm…good," Luigi said. There was an advantage to being easily recognized around the town; it saved them the trouble of reintroducing themselves.

"Okay, first thing…is that your team?" asked the pretty girl toad, pointing at the three Hammer Bros.

"Yes."

"I don't have my team with me today so could I just come in later?" Mario asked. The toad girl smiled and said, "Of course."

"In that case, I'd better go," He tapped Luigi on the shoulder, "call me about the details."

"'Kay, see you later, bro," Luigi said as he turned his attention back to the clerk.

"Bye, Mario!" Breaker hollered as the other Mario brother left.

"Okay, so… It's a good thing you brought your team in, um, 'cuz one thing I forgot to have you guys do is fill out these health forms and this survey, if you don't mind…Oh wait, you _are_ interested in playing in the Bowser cup, right?" She asked as she handed him a few packets of papers.

"Yes, that's right," He took the papers and set his new suit down neatly in a chair near him. "Here guys, fill these out." He gave one of each to his three sidekicks.

"Oh, boy oh boy oh boy," Breaker and Hammer said as they sat down and began.

_Are you planning on completing the anointment with Marius?_ Kalliel asked him through his mind.

"_Oh geez, I had completely forgotten…If there's time later tonight, I suppose it wouldn't hurt. The games in this thing don't start for several months," _Luigi replied.

"Hey, I've got a question on my survey that says, 'Is Breaker a poophead?' Strongly agree," Hammer giggled as he pretend to bubble the imaginary question in on his sheet.

"Nu-uh, it doesn't say that!" Breaker whined, looking at his brother's answer sheet.

Luigi flipped through his health form to make sure everything looked good before handing his to the lady at the desk. "Thanks," she said. "We'll give you guys a call when it's time to come in and get fitted for your armor pieces. Won't be for a few months though."

Hammer and Breaker hurriedly bubbled in the last few things on their survey and handed their forms to her. Marius sighed. He had to help them fill theirs out because they couldn't write very legibly.

"Hey, Marius," Luigi said as they exited the building. "Can I talk to you in private for a minute?"

Marius looked over at Breaker and Hammer. "Uh, sure. You guys go on ahead. You can go look at the stadium, it's okay with me...Just don't run off…"

The two brothers' faces widened with a grin as they ran off to see it.

"What's up, Chief?" Marius asked with a smile.

"Well, you wanted to know about the order right?" He asked quietly.

"Yeah, but…why are you acting so strange?"

"I gotta watch who I say it around. Listen. I trust you. A lot more than most other people and…I was wondering if you would like to help out our cause. Would you, Marius Slater, be interested in becoming a Disciple of the Eidolon order?" Luigi asked, with a small smile and an air of regality. Marius' face remained set for a few seconds before a huge grin plastered his face. He bowed his most formal bow, "Sir Luigi Mario, I would indeed be honored."

"Good. We'll do all of the fancy stuff when we get back to the house," He muttered quietly as Breaker and Hammer came up.

"You guys ready?" They beamed.

After returning to their house later that afternoon and making sure that Hammer and Breaker stayed there, Marius and Luigi returned to the mansion. It had begun to cloud up on the way back.

"Marius, go on in and make yourself comfortable. I've got to make sure Chompy gets somewhere safe before it starts storming."

Marius nodded and hurried through the door that Shivers was holding open. After a few minutes, Luigi came back in to find Marius sitting on the couch sipping at a cup of tea that Shivers had offered him.

"Little scamp wanted to play…heh, not in weather like this…" Luigi said, closing the door. Kalliel appeared before him, holding the familiar leather-bound book. He took it and sat down in a large armchair before cracking the book open. He let it sit on his lap for a second before it flipped on its own to the section about choosing disciples. Marius watched wide-eyed. "How did it do that?"

Luigi smiled. "It turns to the section you want it to. It saves a lot of time…and patience. Hard to explain."

"I understand."

Luigi gave him a quick smile before snapping his fingers, causing a small plume of green fire to appear above his index finger. With a quick swipe of his arm, he pointed at the fire place and the fire leapt into the dark grate. Within seconds, the few logs lying there were set ablaze.

Marius politely remained silent as Luigi looked through the book, trying to make sure he didn't leave out any details. One slip and he could cause great injury to his friend…or worse. Luigi laid the book down on a small coffee table in front of him and stood. Marius just continued to calmly sit with his hands folded on his lap.

_I'll walk you through it should you forget anything…_Kalliel said. Luigi gave a quick nod and extended his hand. Luigi grinned as he dropped it and shook his head. "You're so calm…"

"Because I trust you, Weege." Marius offered him a smile.

Luigi clenched his fists. That was it then. That gave him the boost of confidence and assurance that he needed. He extended his hand once again and with a quick glance at the book, he began.

"_Thank the Stars for Kalliel…" _Luigi thought as he repeated the mantra that Kalliel gave him through his mind. The words were foreign to him. The Star-speak language had fallen on his ears only a few times in the past, and he had never thought he'd speak it himself. The words seem to flow from within him, slightly stinging his mouth as they left his throat. He continued to speak, concentrating on pronouncing the words right. When the evil Beanbean witch Cackletta stole the Princess's voice, it had been replaced by star glyphs. Ones of the extremely explosive kind, so to speak. Though Luigi was fully focused on the task at hand. A small part of him in the back of his mind feared for his friend's safety. He most certainly didn't want to blow him up.

Finally, Luigi turned his hand palm-side-down before clenching it into a fist and opening it face-up. In his hand now sat a small glowing golden light. The same one Kalliel had at his own anointment.

"Okay, what do I do?" Luigi muttered out of the corner of his mouth. His hand was trembling slightly. The worst was over. Luigi licked his lips; his mouth felt slightly blistered from the use of the Star-speak. He glanced over at the book.

"M-Marius…Marius Slater…state your vow…" Luigi said in a shaky voice. Beads of sweat were gathering on his brow.

Marius thought for a moment and swallowed. Luigi inwardly sighed with relief. Marius was just as nervous as he. The Hammer Bro. cleared his voice and hopped off of the couch so that he was standing. "I…Marius Slater do hereby pledge, from this moment forth, t-to support the Eidolon order and the knight at its lead." He closed his eyes and winced slightly.

"Release it…" Kalliel urged. At once the light flew out of Luigi's palm straight at Marius.

"NO!" Luigi said as it hit Marius between the eyes. He hadn't meant to let it go that quickly. He covered his eyes as Marius was thrown backwards against the sofa. It overturned and sent the Hammer Bro. back with it. "Oh Eldestar, Lazarus…" Luigi murmured fearfully as he peeked through his open fingers.

"Marius!" He leapt over the upturned couch and knelt by his fallen friend. Marius lay on his stomach, his face to the floor. "Oh my God!... I killed my best friend!!" Luigi gasped.

He got up and began to pace, babbling to himself in a panic.

"Well now, what's all the ruckus, boys?" Professor Gadd asked as he climbed the stairs from his basement laboratory. Maverick followed him, warbling quizzically while rubbing at a spot between his eyes. "Oh my…" the professor paused at the sight of Luigi in a panic, the couch upturned, and Kalliel kneeling beside an unconscious Marius.

"Luigi…calm down…He's alright. This is exactly what you did when it happened to you," Kalliel said, trying to coax the panicked young man into calming down.

Luigi's eyes flicked nervously from Kalliel to the tiny professor at his side. "A-Alright…" He swallowed as he bent over and picked Marius up.

"Just go put him in one of the guest rooms and let him get some rest. Shivers and I will bring up a medical kit," Gadd said calmly as he adjusted his glasses. Luigi nodded and carefully went up the stairs with his friend's limp body.

"Come on, Mav, what'cha itchin' at?" Gadd asked, gently lifting the boo's arms from his face. Maverick looked at him with his big rosy eyes before scratching at his forehead again. Gadd shook his head as the doorbell rang. The professor stood in silence, listening to the falling rain that beat against the windows.

"I'll get it, Master Gadd," Shivers said formally, checking his tuxedo before opening the door as Gadd headed up the stairs with a small first aid kit in his hand. _Who could it be at this hour?_ The ghostly butler wondered as he peered out into the rainy night.

"Master Luigi?" Shivers called as the master of the mansion came down the staircase.

"Who is it Shivers?"

"The Regent of the Pipe Zone is here," Shivers stated, opening the door a little wider. Luigi stopped in his tracks and hesitantly made his way across the living room. The glow from the fire sent strange shadows across the room and in the flickering light that spilled out of the doorway; Luigi could easily recognize the tremendous bulk of a fully grown Koopa. Two dark eyes peered out from under heavy dark eyebrows at the young man as the icy rain ran down his scaly face and outrageous hairdo, only to run down into the dark cloak that draped from his broad shoulders. A dark blue goatee sat on his chin and in the dim light, a single sharp fang protruded from beneath his upper lip.

Luigi cleared his throat and gave a respectable nod of his head.

"Ludwig."


	26. Regent of the Pipes

**Chapter 26: Regent of the Pipes**

"Do come in, Sir," Shivers said as he opened the door wide for the Koopa regent. Ludwig entered the foyer and stood there as Luigi offered him a towel.

"I'll go get some more," Shivers said, taking Ludwig's dripping cloak.

"Danke…" He said, proceeding to dry his head. Shivers returned with a stack of towels.

"Just leave them on the floor when you are finished."

"It has bin a vhile, yes?" Ludwig asked Luigi with a smile, flashing the large fang in the front of his mouth.

"Come on in," Luigi beckoned. He nodded to Shivers who floated through the wall into the kitchen, where the sound of a few pots shifting broke the silence.

"Please…Allow me to dry off. It vould not be very gentlemanly of me to drip all over your floor, now vouldt it?" He spoke, his voice deep and heavily accented. He went through the stack of towels rather quickly, dropping them one by one in a soggy heap on the tile. His tail twitched slightly. Thank the stars that scales dried quickly. Once he was sure that he wouldn't drip, he carefully followed Luigi into the Living room.

"Oh, hold on…" Luigi said, taking hold of the corner of the upturned couch. He heaved upwards, finding the couch right itself quite easily. He looked and saw that Ludwig had flipped the other side of it for him. He nodded his thanks before taking a seat. The enormous koopa took a seat in front of the fire on the floor as Luigi's butler returned carrying a large pot of tea and two cups.

"Um…" Luigi motioned to the cups.

"Oh…yes, that's right." Shivers disappeared quickly and returned carrying a large beaker.

"Danke…" Ludwig said again as he accepted the large beaker filled with steaming liquid. He took one gulp of it, paused then took another feeling the warmth spread through his icy limbs. Luigi waited patiently, taking a drink of his own tea as he waited for the newly appointed regent to warm up. Ludwig was visibly shivering in front of the large fire. It was to be expected. As humane as the koopa was compared to his father, he was still a reptile.

"Forgive me…" he muttered as the feeling returned to his arms again.

Luigi nodded. "So, what brings you all the way out here?" Ludwig took a deep breath before breathing a small sliver of flame over his hands. He had grown so big since Luigi had first met him. Now as large as the legendary King of the Koopas himself, Ludwig von Koopa, King Bowser's oldest son, was certainly a force to be reckoned with. The combined light from the fire and various lamps in the room shone off of his large, thick shell; indigo in color to match his hair, adorned with small white spikes. Broad-shouldered and Barrel-chested, Luigi knew that he was capable of incinerating him, had he been on the wrong side.

"A matter of great urgency…I assume you haf heardt about ze missing ambassador?" He asked. Luigi paused, his brow furrowing. Ludwig took this as a no. "Apparently not…" He rubbed his face with a heavy paw. "Von of ze kingdom's representatives has gone missing. I've gotten a letter from his highness Magnus Vindbag, saying zat he had seen him recently. He also has disclosed the fact zat he has been getting a bit of trouble from a pack of Manticores…" Ludwig looked to Luigi, the firelight glinting in his dark eyes.

Luigi leaned back in his chair. He and King Windbag had been friends for several years. He knew the king had gotten much better at controlling his temper, but he still had a short fuse. "I can kind of see where this is going…" he sighed.

"Goodt… zen it vould save me the trouble of delving into ze details…Magnus stands poised for var… One vrong move could send Darklandt und Icelandt against each other. He's been getting restless. You know him, Luvigi…" Ludwig looked at him. Luigi sighed.

"Okay. What do you want me to do?" Luigi said upon standing.

"I needt you to come vith me to Darklandt…There's a slim chance ve vill be able to put off any zoughts of invasion. I know ze senate is in a veek…but ve don't have a choice…" Ludwig's mouth twitched into an awkward smile. "Awkvard as zis may seem…Bowser is my fahzzer…und I do not vish to see our countries at var…"

Luigi nodded with an uneasy sigh. "Not meaning to be impudent…but why me?"

Ludwig stood up, the ground slighty shaking each time he put his foot down. "Vell…Fahzzer does not care for Mario…und you're better vith vords…I vas hoping you vould be able to qvickly sort out ze mess."

Luigi thought for a moment, the silence of the living room being broken only by the rain on the windows, the crackling of the fire, and the slow, even breaths of the great dragon-like beast in front of him. "…alright…" He rubbed his head. "If it's alright with you, we'll leave first thing in the morning."

Ludwig smiled wearily. "Zat vould actually be an excellent idea…I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not. We have plenty of rooms, come on, I'll get you squared away for the night," Luigi beckoned for him to follow.

It was common knowledge to all residents of the surrounding kingdoms that Bowser's eldest son had been selected to reign over the pipe zone. It didn't surprise Luigi. Ludwig was a natural born leader; he just lacked the drive to take over the world that his father possessed. He was a composer and inventor; he loved to create, not destroy. It was because of his calm level-headedness and the ability to remain neutral that won him the title of Regent from the Senate two years ago. There had been skeptics and Luigi and Mario _did_ have to fight him along with his brothers and sister when they ventured to the Beanbean kingdom. Luigi knew that he once had the same fervor for conquest his father had when he was younger, but now, he was different. True, he made regular visits to his father's castle, but he was more inclined to keep the peace than see the world engulfed in war.

As they were passing one of the guest rooms, Luigi paused for a moment. He peered through the open door at the unconscious Hammer bro. on the bed. "Just a minute," He said politely to Ludwig as the Koopa peered over his shoulder.

"How is he?" Luigi asked, wringing his hands nervously. Kalliel materialized with a wet washcloth and placed it over Marius' head.

"He had a bit of a fever going, but it's gone down now," Gadd said.

Luigi thought for a moment. "Kalliel…" he murmured. The ghost looked at him. "Do you think this will help him get his memory back?"

Kalliel's eyebrows rose in thought, and he put his hand to his chin. "I'm not sure. There is a good chance that it will make it easier, but just to be on the safe side, you might want to look into researching memory restoration spells." Kalliel turned his gaze to Luigi. "Is something troubling you?"

"I have to leave for Darkland in the morning…" Luigi said. Kalliel stared in silence. Gadd paused for a moment. Maverick, seeing his friend look so tired, flew forward and licked him on the nose. Luigi smiled and patted his head, looking into his large, rose-colored eyes and rubbing the spot between his eyes where he had been scratching. Maverick was now almost normal boo sized, so he wouldn't be able to get away with stowing away in his friend's hat. "It's a matter of great urgency."

"At this short notice?" Gadd asked, gently sticking a thermometer in Marius' mouth.

"It's at the request of the regent," Luigi said quietly. Kalliel pursed his lips in seriousness. It wasn't Ludwig's loyalty that he had a problem with, it was the fact that his young friend and successor would be delving into the enemy's territory. "I think it would be best if I went alone."

Maverick grumbled worriedly, his barks now much deeper than they had been when they first found him. Luigi smiled. "I know, Mav. Just this time, okay?" Maverick's eyes leveled before he sighed and nodded. "I need you to keep Chompy and Pyewacket company."

"I sense a great deal of vorry…" Ludwig said, quietly entering the room. "You vill have nutzing to fear Luvigi…I vill be accompanying you." He made his way over to the bedside and peered at its occupant. Gadd took the thermometer out of Marius' mouth and checked the temperature. "Now do we wanna keep being mopey or do we wanna hear some good news?" The tiny professor questioned.

"Some good news would be a nice reprieve," Luigi said looking at Marius' pale face.

"His temp's back to normal and…" The professor gently turned Marius' face so it was straight up and removed the cloth, "The mark's comin' in nicely." Gadd smiled. "Just give this guy some time to rest… he'll be right as rain. By the time you get beck, he'll be his normal self."

"When are you leaving?" Kalliel asked, standing up. Ludwig's eyes went between the mark on Marius' forehead to the pattern on Kalliel's surcoat.

"Tomorrow at dawn. I should be back tomorrow evening if all goes well," Luigi said.

"Take the key, just in case," Kalliel whispered. _It would be wise to keep this man close. I know I do not know him as well as you, but I can sense he has no evil intentions. He could be a powerful ally, and I can tell that there is a mutual feeling of deep respect between you two._

"So…? You've been standin' there this whole time…what's going on, sonny?" the professor queried.

"Just some trouble fixing to break out up north. I'll get it fixed don't worry."

"Never doubted you," Gadd smiled, "but if Kamek tries anything, you get yer butt outta there."

"Kamek?" Ludwig asked, raising his eyebrow. "Zat old fogey? He couldn't kill a fly."

"Do not be naïve, your highness," Kalliel respectfully addressed the regent. "Kamek is the one behind all of this. He has three beasts that do his dirty work. They are most likely the ones that are causing the trouble. I would advise the both of you to get a good night's rest and keep a low profile as much as you possibly can. For the safety of you both."

"I never had any love for that old vizard…I vill see to it personally that he is stopped."

"Regent, please, I beg of you. The Mushroom kingdom does not need to lose a country's leader. Do not underestimate that old man."

Ludwig was about to protest, but seeing the concerned looks from everyone conscious in the room, he decided against it. "Very vell…Keep in mindt zough…I am well informed. I vill have it discreetly looked into."

"Just don't get yourself into trouble, Ludwig, please." Luigi gave a smile. "You're my favorite composer and I'd like to hear more of your work in the future. Don't go dying on me."

Ludwig gave a chuckle. "Very vell…I suppose zat's vhy I liked you better zan your brother…You veren't vone to go sticking your nose vere it doesn't belong without consultation. Und zat's vhy I vanted you to speak vith fahzzah…instead of somevone from ze state."

"Okay," Luigi said, with a small feeling of confidence. "I'll leave early, guys. Make sure he wakes up, okay?" He said, motioning to Marius.

"Will do sonny boy, and good luck to yeh both!" Gadd gave his good nights before sending them off to bed. Luigi showed Ludwig his room and bid him good night before retiring to his own chambers. As he lay his head down, he turned to face the picture of his parents, silently praying to them that nothing would go wrong. He slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Luigi awoke before the sun was up. He quickly got dressed in his usual green shirt and overalls. He slipped on his gloves and grabbed his hat off of the hat rack in the corner before heading to the room across the hall. Cracking the door open a bit, he gently tip-toed into the room and looked at the sleeping beast on the bed.

"Ludwig," He gently placed a hand on one monstrous shoulder and shook gently. When he got no response, he shook him a little harder. All he got from that was a loud snort, which caused him to flinch. Ludwig could easily take Luigi out with one swipe of his tail. Luigi sighed, rubbing his hands together. He gingerly placed his hand on Ludwig's shoulder and sent an electrical jolt through his body, causing the koopa to jump a bit. Ludwig stared at Luigi wide-eyed as a few sparks came from his hair.

Luigi stood petrified. "I-I didn't m-mean for it to be that s-strong…sorry…" He said, shaking. Ludwig burst into deep laughter, much to the terrified man's surprise.

Without much ado, the two crept as quietly as they could out of the house, but not before Shivers approached them carrying Ludwig's cloak and a small backpack for Luigi. "Best of luck to you both. You're dagger is in the pack, sir," he said solemnly as Ludwig whipped the garment around his shoulders. He fastened it with a brooch bearing the coat of arms which signified the pipe-zone; a shield quartered with two pipes, a crown and a sword.

"I assure you, Shivers. I vill see zat he is safely returned."

They said their goodbyes and set off across the grass. "Here," Luigi said, approaching the spot where the hidden pipe was located.

Ludwig kindly declined. "Zat vill not be vide enough for me…"

Luigi stared dumbfounded. "How did you-"

"Know? I'm ze regent of ze pipe zone. Any pipe zat gets put in must be ferified by me."

"Makes sense. H-hey, wait!" He yelped as he saw the regent continue down the lawn. At the edge of the forest they stopped. Ludwig gave a snap of his fingers and a huge pipe popped up from the ground.

"Zis vill take us directly to Pipeline Central. Ve'll get off zere und take a pipe to Darklandt. Ze vone I'm zinking of vill let us into ze lover atrium of ze castle. Ve'll go up unnoticed."

Luigi paused for a minute. "I think I owe you an explanation, Ludwig."

The koopa held up a large, taloned paw. "For ze time being…I don't zink I vant to know. Somezing tells me zat if I vere to get involved, I vould be vay over my head."

"Alright."

"Come, before it gets any later," Ludwig said, hopping over the lip of the pipe. Luigi followed after a second's hesitation. He had only been to pipe central a handful of times in the past. Each time, however…revealed sights spectacular enough to give one pause.

He felt his body being hurled down the expansive abyss as the pipe took them deep underground. Finally he felt himself thrown into space. He opened his eyes before uttering a cry. He was falling.

As he got over the initial shock of the fall, he looked around as he descended. He was tumbling through an enormous cavern; one that seemed to stretch on forever. Pipes of all sizes were everywhere and at the very center, sat a huge castle. Luigi knew that while it housed the regent, it also served as the switch station for the pipeline transportation system. He looked down in relief. He was falling towards the opening of another large pipe.

Beneath the pipe he was falling towards, he caught the glint of water. It was common knowledge that the pipe zone was built over the Mushroom Kingdom Aquifer, but what was more unnerving was the fact that here and there he could see the long, thorned tendrils and the red and white heads of piranha plants.

He held his breath before falling into the pipe. The familiar feeling of being pulled returned and in a few minutes, he was ejected onto a large landing dock in Pipeline central. The feeling of falling was still giving him a feeling of mild giddiness as he stepped off of the platform. Ludwig was there waiting for him. "I figured zat you haven't eaten breakfast yet, hmm?"

Luigi shook his head as he bent over to try and steady his breathing. The feeling of falling through the pipe zone was enough to take one's breath away. It was hard to believe that they were several miles beneath the surface; the trip only took several minutes. Luigi followed after the large koopa as they disappeared into the castle.

Luigi found dining with the regent…interesting, to say the least. Several times he had to dismiss several of his ministers who were approaching him with requests for new pipes to be put in for transportation. He verified a few, but finally grew annoyed. "Go avay!! I'm eatingk!"

They finally dispersed. Ludwig rubbed his temples in agitation.

"The place looks different," Luigi commented. He was used to seeing a sea of tangled Piranha plant vines and a forest of pipes. It seemed much more refined and organized.

"Yes, I've made some changes. I love piranha plans, but zey vere getting too vild."

They finished their meal, mixed with lively conversation, before Ludwig led Luigi to a special room, in which sat a black pipe just large enough to fit the regent's hulking body. "No turning back," Ludwig said. Luigi gave him a single firm nod before the regent entered the pipe. Luigi followed, his ears being met with the familiar 'Chung chung chung' sound.

It was a long trip. The pipe ride took about an hour and a half, but it was to be expected; Darkland lay in the far northeastern portion of the Mushroom Kingdom. After traveling that long by pipe, one's reflexes are certainly hindered. So when they arrived in the old dungeon, both Luigi and Ludwig were sent sprawling on the ground.

Luigi's head spun as he picked himself up off of the ground. Ludwig chuckled in a slight daze. "Do not vorry, I do zat all ze time."

"N-now, you're sure that no one will know I'm here?" Luigi asked uneasily.

"Oh, zey'll know you're here. I make regular visits to zis castle, so you're not going to go unseen. But ve'll be discreet. To zis day, no vone really knows how I get into ze keep," Ludwig added with a grin.

Luigi nodded. "So, Kamek doesn't know about this pipe?"

"No. No vone ever comes down here anymore. Zis is ze old dungeon. It has been abandoned for many, many years."

It was quite a while before they reached the central hall of the castle. Along the way, Luigi had taken care to turn off his phone and keep the key hidden in the backpack shivers had given him. He was seriously hoping that he would not have to use it.

He looked around nervously for any sign of Judges, Loki or Grym. It was probably a good thing he looked nervous. It would help ease any suspicions Bowser may have if he saw Luigi act normal.

"Ludwig, Sir!" A Dark Koopatrol barked as he snapped to a salute. Ludwig gave a nod and a small bow before speaking, "Is fahzzer in?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Danke…I vish to speak vith him alone." Luigi looked over at the Koopatrol, revealing his prescience from behind the hulking koopa. The Koopatrol gasped. "You caught a Mario bro.?"

There were several audible clicks as several more Koopatrols appeared and trained their spears on him. _So much for being inconspicuous,_ Luigi thought nervously. It was a shame. He was to far from Kalliel to make a successful connection and he was certainly too far outside of kingdom borders to pick up any signal for his phone.

"Drop your veapons, you fools. He is vith me! Ve are here on official business. I vould appreciate it if you vould see to it zat my vishes are fulfilled."

The Koopatrol bowed and disappeared into the throne room as the others dispersed. As they waited, a normal-looking koopa approached them. He bowed and whispered a few things to the regent. Ludwig leaned down and whispered a few things back. He was rewarded with a snappy salute as the koopa walked off as is the meeting had never taken place.

Luigi looked to him for an answer. "I have placed several of my guards here to keep an eye on zis kingdom. No do not look at me that vay," he said as Luigi gave him an odd look. "Zey are not real spies. Zey merely report any strange happenings…eh, you know…abnormal events. As I told you…I am vell informed, however, I limit my influence," Ludwig said, straightening up as the Koopatrol guard returned.

"The king will see you now."

Ludwig nodded and entered the room. The Koopatrol looked to Luigi and gave a salute accompanied by a quick, "sorry." Luigi nodded before following the regent into the throne room. He stopped next to Ludwig and slowly brought his eyes up to look the king in the face. Bowser was there on his throne, looking down at the two of them rather indifferently.

"Well, well. Ludwig, welcome home, boy." He stood up and embraced his son before turning to Luigi. He offered his enormous paw. Luigi took it and winced as his arm was shaken hard.

"So you're gonna fix this problem, right?" Bowser asked, sitting back down.

Luigi swallowed, noticing that, true to Ludwig's wishes, the guards were all gone. They were alone in the throne room. Ludwig backed a few paces away and sat down on the floor. He seemed rather relaxed. Luigi stiffened and cleared his throat. "I can. But I need you to answer a few questions from me." He already knew why Iceland had its sights set on the Land of Shadows, but it was best to play along.

"Wahaha, go ahead, Mr. Green. Talk, then."

Luigi was gaining more confidence by the second. He squared his jaw. "Alright, then. First of all. Did Windbag send you any communication whatsoever? Question two…do you or any of your subjects know of three large black lions running around here?"

Bowser looked at him, his eyebrow raised quizzically.

"And three…do you know of the missing Mushroom kingdom official?"

Bowser sat for a moment, staring at the green-clad man. Ludwig sat on the floor still, seemingly amused by the conversation. The koopa king reached up and wiped a paw across his face.

"The answers in order are as follows; yes, no, and what the hell are you talking about?"

"Okay, we're getting somewhere now."

"Good," Bowser said sarcastically, resting his chin on his paw. "Progress is a wonderful concept." Luigi ignored this.

"You don't know about the lion things and you don't know about the official, but you do have a letter from the king."

"Are you a parrot? That's what I just said!" Bowser said, once again laden with sarcasm.

"Just…tell me what he said in the letter," Luigi said. He wanted to end this as quickly as humanly possible. If Judges found him here, Luigi was sure he would rip him apart, whether it was in front of the King or not.

"He basically said in a nutshell that there was some funny stuff happenin' and that if I didn't look into it, he was going to look into it for me…if ya catch my drift. 'Course, I'm sitting here going…'What is he talking about?' I'm utterly confused and now you show up asking about Black Lions and a…koopa-napped politician?" He looked at Luigi with confusion. "Look, I'm being an honest koopa and I swear on my honor that I ain't lying."

Luigi nodded, keeping his remarks to himself. "Alright, I believe you," He said.

"If ya don't, you can look through the dungeons personally. I don't have any humans down there. I mean I'll keep my eye out, but…yeah. Just get Ol' man Windbag to spill more beans on this…'cause I'm lost."

"Alright."

"Is that it?"

"That should be about it," Luigi said, thinking. "Thank you for your time. I'll be leaving you alone now."

"Smart move, Luigi. That's why I respect you a lot more than your bro." Luigi nodded uneasily at this bizarre comment before turning and heading for the door. Ludwig got up and made to follow him.

"Fazzer…"

"Hmm?" Bowser looked to his oldest son.

"I'd keep an eye on your vizard," he said in a low voice.

"Who, me?" Kammy asked, appearing from behind the throne.

"No."

With that, he left. Bowser sat, pondering his son's departing words. "Kammy," he barked after a time.

"Yes, your rottenness?"

"Go tell some guards to head down to the dungeons and do a little scouring."

"Sir?" She asked as he made to get up.

"I'm gonna get to the bottom of this…"


	27. Ambush in the Dungeon

A/N : Terribly sorry for the delay folks. I've been busy with all kinds of things. I'm going to be a senior in High School. Woohoo! Doesn't mean I'll put this off, oh no. Let's move on, Shall we? Sorry, but this one's a little short.

* * *

**Chapter 27: Ambush in the Dungeon**

After leaving Bowser's throne room, Luigi hurried back down through the dungeons with Ludwig guiding him. "So is zat it?"

Luigi stopped and faced him. "I beg your pardon?"

"Zat seemed razzer…qvick…don't you zink?"

"Well…That's all I needed to know, so…not really."

"So vat did you derive from it?" Ludwig sat down for a moment and casually leaned against the wall.

"You don't have anything to worry about at this time." Luigi stated with an air of finality.

"How so?" Ludwig asked, quite puzzled.

"That letter is a bluff…King Windbag would never attack somewhere where he knew there were hostages. So, in a sense, so long as the official is here, Bowser won't have to worry."

Ludwig paused in thought for a moment.

* * *

Loky lay with his head resting upon his paws as Judges seated himself on top of a low, craggy wall.

"I'm growing weary of fixing your messes, Loky."

"Then why didn't you do it yourself in the first place?" Grym asked as Loky yawned. Judges sneered and swatted at Grym's tail.

"I was occupied at the time…" He spat.

"You're always 'occupied'…" Grym sighed apathetically. Judges leapt down with an angry roar.

"Is that a challenge?"

"Calm yourself little brother…" Grym growled.

"I may be younger, but I'm twice as big as you…don't think I won't use that to my advantage…because I will." Judges spoke true, Grym knew this. With a huff, the eldest turned on his heels and meandered away. He wanted to avoid confrontation with Judges at all costs. Judges stood an entire head taller than Grym or Loky and was certainly more muscular to boot.

Loky rolled his eyes and idly scratched a claw through the dirt of the dungeon before taking a few sniffs at the air. He sniffed again.

"Judges!" He hissed.

Judges lifted his great head and sniffed. His almond eyes opened with malign eagerness. "He's here!!" He barked.

* * *

Luigi stopped and leaned against the wall to rest. It had certainly been a long trip up and now it didn't seem any quicker going. "Ve're almost zere, come," Ludwig urged. Luigi sighed and chuckled a bit before straightening himself and continuing on.

"So…vat are zese 'lion-zings' you spoke of?" Ludwig asked, stroking his goatee a few times in thought.

"Well, they're these big, nasty creatures that have these big Scorpion tails and glowing yellow eyes…" Luigi continued to explain to Ludwig about the Manticores, completely oblivious to what was thundering up the corridor behind them.

They continued to joke as they turned to corner and found the large black pipe back to Pipe Central. They were almost to it when Luigi stopped. Ludwig turned and raised an eyebrow.

"Do you hear that?" Luigi asked, his breath catching a bit.

Ludwig stopped. "No"

"That's weird, because I could've sworn that I did…" He turned again to see Judges pouncing; claws extended and teeth bared. "GYAAAH!!" He screamed as he fell backwards. Judges sailed over him and landed with a skidding halt. Luigi desperately and searched for his pack, which to his dismay, lay several feet away. Judges pounced again, sneering, "You've made a stupid move…coming into enemy territory was the worst thing you-" He was cut off as a massive scaled paw knocked him off his course and slammed him into the wall. Ludwig growled and bared his fangs. It had taken him a moment to get over the shock, but now he was fully alert and bristling.

"Und your mistake vas bozzering us!" He bellowed with an angry snarl.

"Ludwig wait, there are two more!!" Luigi yelled, running over to his pack. He knelt and reached into it, only to be knocked away as Grym ploughed into him.

"What do we do with the regent? We can't possibly take on a full grown koopa now…" Loky queried as he helped Judges up.

Judges winced and panting, responded, "Keep him out of the way while I kill the boy…then dispose of him." He gritted his teeth against the pain and shot forward. "Keep him away from that pack, Grym! He's probably got the Key in there…"

Luigi spat out a mouth full of grit as a shadowy tentacle wrapped around his ankle and flung him away into the far wall. Luigi lay dazed as he opened his eyes wearily. Ludwig took another swing; this time with his claws bared, and caught Loky on the side of the face. The force of the glancing blow sent the youngest of the three sprawling. For a creature of his size and girth, he was extremely nimble, much to the Manticores' dismay.

Luigi painfully picked himself up and paused.

"Huh?" Luigi wondered, rubbing his fingers together. His gloves were damp as were the knees of his pants. This far down in these old catacombs, there was sure to be moisture. It was going to be difficult, but hopefully it would buy them enough time to escape. "Ludwig! Get the pack!" He said as he threw his hands out in front of him and focused.

"Ja!"

Ludwig gave a bellowing roar before charging through the three lions. Judges gave an angry hiss and raked his claws across the ground in frustration. He slowly got to his feet, the others doing the same.

"He's mine…" He said to the others, turning to Luigi.

"Get to the pipe!" Luigi ordered. Now was not the time to be overly polite. Ludwig began hurrying down the corridor, stopping after a few feet. "Eh?" He looked down. There was a few inches of water at his feet. He turned back to watch as a confident smirk appeared on his featured.

Without a word, Judges leapt forward, claws bared and tail ready to strike. Luigi gave a flourish of his hands and brought a fist to eye level. The water on the floor immediately twisted upwards and trapped all three of the Manticores in a sphere of liquid. Luigi carefully stood up, keeping his hands how they were, and backed up. Inside the water prison, Judges, Loky, and Grym lashed about as they tried to get a breath of air.

"Let's go…" Luigi said uneasily as he dropped his hands and ran towards the pipe. The water dropped back to the floor, leaving three scrambling (and very wet) Manticores on the ground.

"Come…Come, ve must go qvickly!" Ludwig said as he ushered Luigi ahead of him at the pipe. They both turned as the sound of a close roar filled the dungeon. Ludwig cracked his knuckles as the Judges, Grym, and Loky came barreling up the corridor. Ludwig began to inhale a great, deep breath as they drew nearer and nearer. Luigi stopped and turned, watching.

Before the three could pounce, Ludwig unleashed a great plume of fire that rocketed through the hallway, turning any drop of water it came into contact with into steam. Judges and Grym quickly melted into a pool of shadow to escape, but Loky was a split second too late and was caught in the heated geyser of steam and flame.

"Move!" Ludwig urged as he pushed Luigi through the opening. Judges and Grym rematerialized from out of the floor and galloped toward him. At the last second, Ludwig threw himself into the pipe and disappeared with the familiar 'CHNG CHNG CHNG' sound.

Grym and Judges skidded to a halt outside of the opening and hissed.

The pipe was wide enough to fit Luigi and Ludwig both side by side, so they had no problem communicating.

"Do…do you think they followed us?" Luigi asked shakily.

"No…" Ludwig panted. "Zey're gone…"

The two said nothing on the long pipe ride home.

Meanwhile, Judges limped back to where Loky lay, his wet fur smoking slightly.

"Ugh…" He groaned.

"Do you smell that?" Grym wondered.

"…That's my skin…" Loky groaned again. Judges reached down with his tentacles and picked his younger brother up.

"No…It is the smell of defeat…" Grym mused poetically.

"Shut up…" Judges sighed as they headed back down the corridor. How he hated pipes.

* * *

When the regent and Luigi reached Pipe Central, they took a moment, not only to regain their balance, but to examine themselves for injuries. Luigi had several bruises, a mild black eye and a small cut on his lip…but apart from the bump on his head, and the cut on his arm he was fine.

Ludwig had several scratches and several large claw marks across his shell, which didn't make him happy at all. "Aww…I just vaxed it…"

Luigi idly rubbed his arm, wiping a few smears of blood into his glove absently. "We were lucky we got out of that…they're getting faster."

"Und viser…not zat zey know you can use vater magic…"

Luigi sighed. "Yeah…" he nodded, still rubbing his arm. "So why didn't they follow us?"

"If you're asking for my honest opinion…I believe zey couldn't follow us due to zere biological makeup. If zey are shadows…zey vould be stuck in ze vacuum of ze pipes until ze pipes vere destroyed."

"So they can't go into pipes?"

"I vouldt assume not…"

Luigi smiled and heaved a small sigh of relief. "That we can use to our advantage later if the need be."

Ludwig nodded and wiped a paw across his face, cleaning it of the niter that had been thrown onto his face from the fight in the dungeons. "Let us go…I know you are shaken by ze fight…but I promised ze professor zat I vould bring you back in vone piece."

They made their way through the massive station castle, picking their way through the massive crowds of Pipe zone servants and commuters alike and found the pipe that would take them to Luigi's yard. They both hopped in and in an instant were on their way. Once out of the pipe and safely on solid ground, Ludwig turned to him.

"Luvigi…I don't know vat it is zat you've managed to drag me into…but it vould seem zat I'm now part of zis little fairytale. It is now clear to me zat zere is more going on zan meets ze eye. I vill do vat I can to help you, but do not expect me to be direct at all times. I plan on maintaining a 'Neutral' status as much as heavenly possible." Ludwig said.

"Thank you very much…it's really appreciated…any little bit helps. I'm still learning about it as I go but anything you could do would be great."

"I zank you for your help. I am worried about Fazzer zough. Now zat I know you're telling ze truth, I vill have to keep a sharper eye out. Ozzer zan zat…I shall see you at ze Vinter ball zen, yes?"

Luigi nodded and shouldered his pack before walking up towards the house. Ludwig disappeared back into the pipe. It was time he returned to his castle.

As Luigi made his way up the grassy knoll to his yard, he saw Pyewacket out and about, grazing in the Evening sunlight. He smiled as the dinosaur looked up, gnawing on a mouthful of grass. He swallowed his food and bounded over. "Weegie back!" He yipped.

"Mm-hmm," He responded, running his hand playfully through his steed's mane. His wing was still in a cast, but it didn't seem to bother the young prince. Luigi and Pyewacket made their way up to the house and went inside. Luigi made a short, mental note to himself, _I need to build a stable for him before it gets too cold and he gets too big._

"I'm back!" He called through the house. It brought Kalliel drifting down from the ceiling in a heartbeat.

"Thank…the stars…" He said with a relieved sigh. But upon seeing his battered appearance, he quickly floated down. The professor came down the stairs, followed by Maverick, who darted over and attached himself to Luigi's head with a loud "Mweeee!"

"You were attacked?!" Kalliel asked.

Luigi raised his eyebrows a bit and shrugged. "Yeah. They found out we were there and they came after us. I used water magic though," he grinned uneasily, trying to lighten the mood. "They can't go through pipes…"

"Come again?" Gadd asked, placing his hands on his hips, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"They wouldn't go through the pipes." Luigi repeated. Gadd and Kalliel looked at one another. "Looks like we have an advantage…"

"Oooh, I smell a loophole," Gadd laughed, rubbing his hands together. "Shivers!!" Gadd hollered.

The ghostly butler's head popped through the floor near the tiny professor. "Yes, sir?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were upstairs. Will you please fetch me the first aide kit?"

"At once!" He said disappearing.

"Well, go on, sonny. Tell us how it went," Gadd said, urging him.

"First let me see Marius," Luigi said, raising a finger.

"Oh yeah. He's awake!" Gadd said as he led Luigi upstairs. When they reached Marius' room, he was sitting on the edge of the bed, rubbing his eyes. He looked up and smiled at Luigi as he came over and knelt in front of him.

"Welcome back," Luigi smiled. "How was the trip?"

"Trippy…" Marius said as he rubbed his forehead. "Ooh…"

"Yeah, it'll be sore for a while."

"Mmm…yep. But look what I can do now," He said as he snapped his fingers. A small plume of flame ignited above his thumb like a lighter. "I can do other stuff too."

"Don't push yourself now," Luigi said as Shivers floated in next to him.

"Here you are, sir." He handed the first aide kit to Luigi.

"Where'd you go? And…what happened?

"I had to go to Darkland…and…Judges was there," Luigi said as he rolled up his sleeve and cleaned the cut on his arm before wrapping it.

"I won't press the matter…" Marius said, biting his lip a bit.

"Probably a good idea." Luigi looked up at him hopefully. "Any luck with your memory?"

"Not really…"

Luigi sighed a bit.

"Although…I do remember something about my dad…" He said slowly as Kalliel and Gadd entered the room and took a seat in some vacant chairs. "He was drafted into the Darkland Army and…I don't think he came back."

"Hmm…" Luigi broke his kneeling position to sit properly upon the floor. "It's a good start."

"Yes, it is…thank you very much," he said with deep gratitude.

They all sat in silence for a moment.

"Well, get some rest. I know I need to…" Luigi said as he patted him on the back. He made his way to the door.

"Luigi...thanks…" Marius said as he climbed back into the bed. Luigi gave a nod and left the room. He was going to help him get his memory back if it was the last thing he'd do.


	28. Crossing the Barrier

**A/N:** Once again, I apologize for the delay…I've been so backed up with work and band that I haven't had much time to do anything other than sleep, school and…well…band…I'll try to keep updates regularly, and I promise I will finish this out, but if I don't update quickly, don't be too alarmed.

**Chapter 28: Crossing the Barrier**

The rest of the week passed rather uneventfully for the residents of the mansion; Marius had gone back the day after Luigi's return. Ms. Mucavele had been there to pick him up and she assured everyone that she would call if anything went wrong before fussing over her adopted 'son.'

The next two days had granted Luigi the opportunity to spend his time outside; the sky was sapphire blue and held the faint wispy traces of cirrus clouds. Pyewacket was darting back and forth between two points while Luigi stood watching, his hand clasped around a stopwatch. Kalliel sat watching the scene with interest from his perch in a nearby apple tree.

Pyewacket had certainly grown since their return from the islands. Time not only brought growth, but also healing, as his wing was nearly ready to be removed from the cast. As he had grown, though, Luigi began to see more and more of his father coming out in him, what with the wild determination and fierce spirit within him.

"Luigi!" Gadd called from the side of the house, "Come feed your friggin' plants…they're trying to eat me again!" He sounded rather annoyed. Kalliel snorted slightly, trying desperately to conceal a suppressed laugh.

"Piranha plants, I assume?"

"You assume correctly," Luigi said as he walked up to the mansion. Kalliel floated along beside him as Pyewacket loped along behind. After a few minutes, Luigi was in the greenhouse (Pyewacket waiting outside due to his bulk) feeding several bright white-spotted, crimson plants with snapping jaws filled with sharp pearly teeth. Ones not unlike those he had seen during his traverse through the pipe zone. He idly tossed a raw chunk of meat to one of them and watched as it snapped it up in just a few gulps.

"I still don't understand why you keep those things," Gadd said, idly rubbing his rear. "One of the darn things bit me on the sit-upon when I was getting something off the floor."

"Well, when placed at certain intervals, they make excellent guard dogs…Look, professor, I'm sorry that they bit you. They don't seem to snap at me," Luigi said as he gently patted a piranha plant on the head, at which it responded to with a purr.

"You are weird…" The professor chortled, shaking his head. "You're afraid of ghosts and things like that, but you keep chain chomps and piranha plants as pets…I don't think I'll ever get you, boy." The tiny professor peered out at Pyewacket. "I think it would be safe to take that thing off of him, now. A little stretchin' will do wonders for his wing, y'know."

At this, Pyewacket's face lit up.

A few hours later saw the Prince's wing removed from its cast. Luigi gently helped the dinosaur stretch it out, stopping when Pyewacket winced. When he had it fully extended, he had the other do the same. Luigi stepped back for a moment to admire his steed's impressive wingspan. "Now all we have to do is teach you to fly."

"Ahem," Gadd cleared his throat as he tugged at Luigi's shirt. "We need to start building a separate living space for him before he gets too big to fit through the front doors, sonny. You remember how big his daddy was, don't you?"

"Oh…yeah," Luigi said absently, thinking on other things. He was brought back to reality rather rapidly as he felt a sharp pain in his hand. Looking down, he saw that one of his plants had accidentally bitten him while trying to get the piece of meat he still had in his hand.

"I've already gotten the plans drawn out and I'm sure we have more than enough supplies in the back shed…'course I could borrow a few things from the company…Luigi you're not listening…" Gadd said flatly. Luigi was looking curiously at his hand.

"??" Gadd crossed his arms and eyed Luigi with interest. Usually when his friend had these spacey looks on his face; it meant that he was thinking up something dynamic.

"Professor…? Would it be alright if we postpone that until tomorrow?"

"Hmm? Wha-? Erm…Sure…I don't see why not but…" Gadd was plainly befuddled. "What'choo thinking about?"

Luigi couldn't understand it, but the bite on his hand made him think of...

"Kalliel?"

"Yes?"

Luigi thought back through the vast array of knowledge that had been crammed into his head the first day he had opened the book. "Would you feel up to being mortal for a few days?"

Kalliel stared. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly as he thought. "It certainly is tempting…" he said quietly.

Luigi eyed him. He knew it would make the ghostly man happy. It was a way Luigi thought he could repay him for all of his help.

"You go to the party," Luigi urged. Kalliel eyed him with a smirk. "And you could more than likely help me out in the Senate if I'm supposed to be there. We _are_ required to have secondaries."

"I thought you had attended previous years with the Princess," Kalliel stated, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, yes…but never on my own as part of the group. I was one of the secondaries. Don't tell me you didn't do this when you were alive."

Kalliel crossed his arms for a moment. "I did." He smiled. "I accept your offer and in turn I shall do my best to help you in any way possible." He bowed low. "Though I am curious…what ever possessed you to think of that?"

Luigi shrugged. "I just thought it would be a nice gesture and I'm sure you miss being mortal…there are perks you know…like food…"

"Food's yummy," Gadd said with a grin as he sauntered out of the green house.

Kalliel chuckled and looked straight at the two humans. "Very well. I will admit that it does get rather repetitive, being a ghost…you take for granted the things we do every day, as these are the things that are taken from you when you pass on."

Luigi thought for a moment, "Well, then let's hope I don't have any unfinished business when I kick off…maybe being a ghost isn't the greatest job."

"Hey you two!!" Luigi and Kalliel looked out of the greenhouse to find the Professor, Maverick and Pyewacket ambling up to the house. "Get your arses up here! I'm freezin' my tail off…" Sure enough, snow was beginning to fall from the sky.

* * *

Ludwig von Koopa stood staring into the gaping orifice of the great, black pipe that led to the bowels of his father's castle. He clenched his fists before taking a step into the pipe. Nothing happened. His brows furrowed as he took several more steps into the pipe. There was no sudden force pulling him in, nor was there any loud gulping noise usually associated with pipe travel. "Your majesty?" The blue-shelled koopa from Bowser's castle questioned.

"Get some runners…Ve have a break in ze pipeline…" He growled. The koopa quickly bowed and darted out of the chamber. Ludwig snorted with frustration, causing a few stray tendrils of smoke and flame to twist from his nostrils. Somewhere along the pipeline, the pipe had been severed by someone…Ludwig knew exactly who. This was something he had feared ever since He and Luigi had returned.

The blue-shelled koopa returned with two other koopas, both bearing thick goggles over their eyes and a belt covered in the most interesting gadgets. They both wore around their necks the crest of the pipe zone, the same as the regent wore on his cloak. Ludwig merely pointed into the pipe. The two nodded and each took out a small stop-watch-like gadget. These were to check the distance they were about to travel.

They both took their positions in front of the pipe before retreating into their shells. Ludwig and his blue-shelled assistant stood behind them. "Hit ze stopper ven you get to ze blockage…ve need to know how far back ze collapse is…"

The two barked a quick "yessir!" before being booted into the darkness by Ludwig and the koopa. The shells sped away, leaving the two alone.

"Get to Darklandt…all pipes are open to you," Ludwig said slowly. "Make sure Fazzer is alright…"

The blue-shelled koopa bowed. "Of course, sir." He left the regent standing alone, his black cloak fluttering slightly whenever he moved. His great barrel chest expanded as he took a deep breath, clenching his fists with anger. He remained standing where he was; rigid, until his scouts returned to the room, roughly twenty minutes later. Their shells bounced a few times off of the walls before they popped out in a daze. They wordlessly passed Ludwig their portable odometers before sitting on the ground, clutching at their spinning heads. Ludwig took one look at the distance number and snorted.

"What would you have us do, your Excellency?" One of the koopas asked as he stood up and gave a somewhat woozy salute.

Ludwig gave a small growl as he turned on his heel and walked out of the room. "Collapse ze rest of ze pipe…"

"Y-yessir…" The koopa gave another salute as his companion tried in vain to stand, only to topple over in a rather comic fashion.

* * *

"Holy Cow!!" Luigi exclaimed later that evening as he peered at a section of the large leather-bound book. "You mean to tell me that it takes all of this to bring someone back to life temporarily?!?"

"Oh, good lord, no…" Kalliel said, taking the book from him and gingerly flipping through the brittle pages. "You stumbled across permanently bringing someone back from nothing…here…" He said, handing the book back to Luigi. Luigi scanned the page for the directions and nodded. It seemed easy enough. Bringing someone back to life _temporarily_ really wasn't all _that_ hard.

The relieved look on Luigi's face dropped. "It says…you'll lose the ability to use magic of any kind until the spell wears off…"

Kalliel's face was stony, "Yes."

"You know this…right?"

Kalliel merely nodded. "I had done this many times to several of my followers…but, obviously, never on myself…I am quite aware of the repercussions. I am also aware that I am just as vulnerable to death as any normal human is."

"Wait…what?!?" Luigi exclaimed.

"That's right," Kalliel said heavily. "If something should happen to where I was killed, I would not return…" He saw the look on Luigi's face. "No, I'm not trying to frighten you. I assure you I can take care of myself."

"I know…but…it's still dangerous."

"I can still 'die' technically…Shadow renders the flesh of the living and the dead…Kamek or his Manticores can take me out just as easily as any foot soldier," Kalliel's face remained determinedly set. Luigi nodded.

"Well…if it's really what you want…besides, it's just the Winter Ball…what's the worse that could happen?"

"And you can call off the spell at any time," Kalliel urged.

Luigi stood up and put a bookmark into his place in the book. "Alright…let's go."

"We'll need more room…" Kalliel muttered as Luigi passed him. "The palace perhaps?"

"Alright…Pyewacket, could you meet us at the pipe?" Luigi asked the large, blue yoshi.

"There's a shorter way that I need to teach you," Kalliel said. Pyewacket looked in confusion at Luigi.

"Hmm?" He queried, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Erm…sure…" Luigi said in hesitation.

"Pyewacket, go to the pipe at the edge of the woods, it'll be stone-colored…and go through it."

The yoshi nodded and sped out through the front doors and into the snow.

"Alright, where is it?" Luigi asked as Kalliel casually floated over to the old mirror sitting in the corner. Luigi followed him and peered at his reflection.

"Is there a trap-door or something?" the young man asked cautiously.

"I think you are more than prepared enough for this lesson I am about to teach you…"

Kalliel reached out and grabbed him by the wrist and flew forward.

"Woah woah woah!!" Luigi exclaimed as he was pulled towards the mirror. "I'm solid remember?" He closed his eyes and winced as he braced himself for impact and the tinkling sound of glass. It never came.

Luigi opened his eyes, which quickly widened in shock. He was no longer in the living room of the mansion, but floating between what looked like something between twilight and dawn. All over the place, small silver lights flickered, which he suddenly recognized as the other sides of various mirrors. The shock of his surroundings faded only to be replaced by the shock of his own appearance. His normal clothes had been replaced by his surcoat and snug-fitting long-sleeved, high-collared white shirt. His traveling boots were on instead of his work shoes and his gloves were replaced by the fingerless black ones. The lights from the mirrors glinted off of the segmented plates on the backs of his gloves.

The real surprise came as he looked at the soft light coming from his own body.

"Welcome to the other side of the mirror…" Came Kalliel's voice. It seemed to come from every direction as if it were disembodied. "…a section of the spirit realm, where you are free to travel between any two points…so long as there is a mirror at the place you are trying to go. Follow me, please…"

Luigi clutched the large tome to his chest and tried to float forward, feeling the mark on his forehead flare to life as he did so. He followed the image of Kalliel as they hurled through the mirror world. Shortly after entering, Luigi found himself barreling towards another large window of light. His body passed through in one fluid movement and he felt himself tumble across the hard stone floor as his body became solid once again.

He sat up and stared at the mirror that he had passed through. "Anywhere?" he asked finally.

"Anywhere."

It was even quicker than using pipes. This would really come in handy later on, should he need it. Looking around to gather his bearings, he saw that he was in one of the many rooms of the Spirit palace, with a few rather confused-looking ghosts staring awkwardly at them. "It's nothing," Luigi said quickly, waving his free hand. The room quickly cleared, leaving the two knights alone.

"Now…before you begin, I must give you a small lecture…" Kalliel stated as he motioned out the window. About two stories below, Pyewacket stood looking around rather nervously at the ghosts that flitted about. "The barrier between life and death is as simple as a loosely locked gate for us. We can pull others back from the depths or save those about to cross the brink. All of these out here have sworn allegiance to you and our order…and understanding the fragile door that leads from one realm to another is the key upon which we've all based our very existence." Kalliel eyed Luigi as the young man thought. "Do you understand this?"

Luigi nodded as he flipped open the book. The front and back of his coat rippled slightly as he shifted to accommodate for the hefty tome. He read the directions thrice before setting it down and looking up. With an audible gulp, he turned his gaze to the ghostly man before him. Kalliel stood waiting patiently as Luigi raised a gloved hand to his chest. The three colored orbs smoothly flew out into the open air; each representing fire, thunder and water respectively. He needed at least three to make the spell, now all he had to do was finish it out.

The orbs began to glow brightly with their respective colors before they shot up then embedded themselves in the floor. White lines traced between each of them until they formed an ornate design beneath Kalliel. Luigi looked once at his outstretched hand and back at his mentor before clenching it into a fist. The lines burned brightly with white light and as he raised his hand and brought it back down with a quiet "Ha!" the room filled with a blinding flash.

As Luigi opened his eyes, there came a tell-tale _clink_ of chain-mail and the ruffle of cloth, followed by a _whump…_ As his vision cleared, he looked down at the figure on the floor.

Kalliel lay unconscious, dressed the same as he was, but completely solid…and alive.


	29. Freedom

**Chapter 29: Freedom**

"Ah!" Luigi exclaimed, hopping back. The loose surcoat swished about him slightly as he leaned forward to get a better look at his work. Kalliel was alive, temporarily…and unconscious. Luigi looked around nervously and swallowed. He had a feeling something like this would happen. That's why he had Pyewacket come along. He looked out the window at the large blue yoshi.

"Pyewacket!!" He called down. The yoshi looked up and wagged his tail upon hearing his voice, wings fluttering.

"Yessa! Weegie be needn' Pyewacket's help, ya?"

"Yes, please and thank you…I'll meet you at the bottom!"

Pyewacket nodded and padded off towards the front doors. Luigi, meanwhile, set the book down and threw Kalliel's arm over his shoulders before heaving him up with a grunt. The man was heavier than he looked. Luigi quickly tucked the book under his other arm and proceeded, with great difficulty, down to the first floor and out the front doors.

Outside, he met the winged yoshi, slightly out of breath. Pyewacket curiously took a look at the man Luigi was supporting. He sniffed at him. "That the ghost man, Weegie?"

"Yeah," He said as he helped Pyewacket get Kalliel onto his back. "Thanks for your help. Let's get him back to the house, alright?"

"Okay!" The dino exclaimed. While it was true they had only been back for a week or two, Pyewacket's size certainly had increased; it no longer looked mildly awkward to have a human adult upon his back. Luigi knew a lot about yoshis, and the fact that they often went through spontaneous growth spurts was something he knew very well.

"I heard you and-a old man talking about building…?"

"Yeah. You're getting bigger…soon you'll be too big to get in through the front door…er, without scuffing your wings or something like that…" Luigi said. "We thought we'd simply build you a separate room to stay in, making sure you're comfortable of course. What do you say?"

Pyewacket looked down at his feet as he loped along. "Pyewacket…get-a lonely though…but is a good idea…getting harder to get through doors…"

Luigi chuckled at his friend's comment. They finally found the pipe and proceeded through it. Outside, they had a bit of a mishap. Bringing someone unconscious on a dino's back through a pipe is not the easiest thing in the world, Luigi found this out as Kalliel's body completely toppled off of Pyewacket. "Oops…" Luigi said as they both looked around to make sure no one was looking. "I don't think anyone saw that…" Luigi whispered awkwardly as he helped get him back onto Pyewacket's back. "He's not awake so I don't think he'll mind too much…" Pyewacket stifled a giggle as they quickly made their way back to the house, snow crunching under their feet. At the front door, Luigi had to pull his mentor off of the yoshi's back. He looped his arms beneath Kalliel's and proceeded to drag him over the threshold into the warm foyer. Pyewacket shook the snow from his feathers and mane before ducking in through the door.

"Shivers! Can you come give me a hand?!" Luigi summoned his ghostly butler, who could only stare at the unconscious man in befuddlement. "Is…is that…Master Kalliel?"

"Mm-hmm," Luigi grunted as he tried dragging the chain-mail-clad knight into the living room. Shivers helped move him, a feat at which Luigi was grateful for; he was heavier than he looked. "Yes…that's him…" He paused as they got him to the couch. Then after quietly counting to three, lifted him up and onto it.

"What are you guys do-…ing…? Gadd said as he walked into the room and caught a glimpse of the unconscious man on the couch. He silently plodded over and looked at the sight quizzically.

Kalliel began to stir slightly, causing Luigi to jump back slightly. The three waited in silence as Kalliel's sapphire eyes opened once before closing tightly again. "Ugh…" he groaned quietly. Luigi, Gadd, and Shivers watched with baited breath to see if he would wake up.

"Can you hear me?" Luigi asked quietly. Kalliel nodded slightly as his breathing came in shallow pants. He looked as if he were trying to keep down a strong feeling of nausea.

"I shall return with some tea," Shivers suggested as he drifted into the kitchen.

"You sure you're alright…?" Luigi asked again, this time in a flatter tone. Kalliel nodded again.

"Yes…" he mumbled weakly before coughing. "Nausea is merely a side effect. I shall be fine within the hour." He blinked several times as his eyes grew accustomed to the softly-lit room. "Though…I feel as if…oh, my head," he said as he awkwardly moved his hand up to his head and brushed his fingers through his shaggy, dark hair.

Luigi looked around awkwardly as Pyewacket sidled into the room. The two exchanged embarrassed glances before swallowing quietly. "M-maybe it's just another side effect of, uh…the resurrection," Luigi said, trying his best to sound relatively innocent.

"Yes…perhaps…" Kalliel's voice sounded weak. Luigi felt a pang of guilt settle into his stomach like a small monster that had just hatched. Maybe resurrecting the man wasn't such a good idea.

"How long are you going to be like this?" Luigi asked as Shivers reemerged into the room carrying a tray with a steaming teapot and a few china cups in one hand and holding a thick blanket in the other.

"He'll be better by morning, so long as he gets some rest," Gadd said calmly with a hinting look at Luigi. Luigi got the message and nodded. Shivers continued to remain silent as he poured some tea and handed it to Kalliel, who accepted it and the blanket gratefully. Pyewacket wandered over in front of the fire place and flopped down on the rug with a snort as he allowed the crackling fire to warm his backside. Kalliel sipped at the tea, grimacing as it burned his mouth. "Ow!" he muttered. He smiled. At least he could feel and taste again. Though it was just plain Earl Gray tea, to him it was the best thing he'd ever tasted. Fifteen hundred years was a long time, and taste was one thing he had forgotten.

"Ahem…so long as he gets some rest…" Gadd said again, nudging Luigi in the rib with his elbow. "Go on, git!"

Luigi blinked a few times; he had been zoning out. "Oh…erm, sorry, I was just thinking…"

"That's dangerous…'specially comin' from you, sonny," Gadd chortled. Luigi looked at him pointedly before turning and walking upstairs. The folds of his surcoat fluttered as he walked.

"So," Gadd said as he pulled the ottoman from a nearby easy chair over to the couch and seated himself upon it. "You're alive now."

"Temporarily." Kalliel took another drink of the tea. Gadd reached down and heaved the black-bound book off of the floor.

"Mind if I take a gander?" He asked as Kalliel felt his eyes begin to droop.

"Not at all…" Kalliel said, setting the empty cup down on the coffee table. He leaned back against the cushion and felt himself drift into what was his first night of true sleep in over fifteen-hundred years.

"So Luigi did this to ya, huh?" Gadd asked quietly to no one in particular. He stared at the intricate writing on the aged parchment page before him. "Brilliant lad…Brilliant lad," he whispered.

The next morning, Kalliel awoke, feeling rather uncomfortable. Ah…that was why. He had fallen asleep in his chain mail and surcoat. "Mmm…" He groaned, stretching his aching muscles. "Canvas and steel…not a very comfortable mix for sleeping." He sat up and looked around, spying a stack of clothes sitting on the ottoman near him. Obviously Gadd had left them out for him. He slowly extended his legs and set his feet flat on the floor. The metal shin-greaves over his boots glinted in the morning light that filtered through the windows. He reached out and took the clothes before standing, only to come crashing back to the carpet with a WHUMP and a clink from the armor.

"Dammit…" he grunted into the carpet. He had forgotten that he hadn't been solid for a long time. As many times as he had performed temporary resurrections before, never had he imagined that one would be performed on him. Once again, he tried standing. When he was sure that he wasn't going to fall again, or that the ground wasn't going to move in any way, he set off unsteadily to a vacant room. Once in privacy, he removed his surcoat and chain mail hauberk, listening as they hit the ground with a ruffle and a tinkling thud, respectfully. He changed out of his white, high collared tunic and brown traveler's pants and into the clothes that Gadd provided. There was a solid blue long-sleeved shirt, a pair of blue jeans and a thick, plain black hoodie, which he slipped on over his torso once he had changed into his new attire. He certainly felt warmer with it on. He picked up the surcoat, hauberk, shirt, pants, and shin guards and laid them in a neatly folded pile on a chair nearby. The heels of his boots sounded on the floor as he walked around the house for a bit, trying to get used to his body once again.

He nearly ran into the door leading into the hallway, once again forgetting that he was solid. He wandered down the hall, rubbing his hands slightly. It had grown a bit chilly in the house. "Luigi?" He queried, searching for his mentee. He rubbed his hands a little more vigorously, as they along with his face were the only parts of his body not covered by clothing. He finally touched his fingers to his forehead, frowning when no light came from it. No magic at all. He almost passed completely by the door leading into Madame Clairvoya's room.

Maybe a short visit wouldn't hurt. He opened the door slowly and entered the dark, warm room. He coughed slightly. The room absolutely reeked of incense.

"Is someone there?" A detached voice asked calmly.

"Yes, Madame, it is I, Kalliel."

The ghost of the woman appeared from inside the crystal ball in the table in the center of the room. She turned her almond eyes to him and gasped. "Kalliel…you're…mortal?" she asked.

"For three days, yes." He said with a bit of an awkward bow. Clairvoya chuckled slightly.

"Still not used to your body yet, are we?"

"…No…" Kalliel returned a bit of an awkward smile.

"You seek Luigi, yes?" she asked as she seated herself comfortably in her chair. Kalliel nodded with an embarrassed grin as he sat down in a vacant chair. He had lost his psychokinetic abilities along with his magic. "Hmm…I believe you shall find him outside…tell me, though…how are things looking so far?"

"We're good…" He said with a smile. "I definitely believe that my hope is well placed."

Clairvoya paused for a minute. "Wonderful," she breathed. She eyed the man sitting in the chair across from her. "Yet you are still concerned…it stems from your loss of magic."

"Yes, well. I have never been under these exact circumstances…I am merely concerned that there will be some sort of incident." he explained, wanting to end this conversation quickly without being rude. "Thank you, Madame. I shall keep you posted on our progress."

With a nod, she vanished back into her ball. Kalliel stood up and walked, a bit more steadily, back out the door and back into the living room. Outside, he noticed Luigi doing rather lofty flips from trees and such. Pyewacket meandered about, shuffling his nose through the new snow excitedly. Brushing his hair from his face, Kalliel turned to the front door and opened it. As he stepped outside his eyes widened.

"Ah!!"

"Woah!!" Luigi called as he toppled into a snow bank. Kalliel's cry had broken his concentration.

"What's wrong?!" Luigi asked, his head popping out from beneath a small pile of fresh snow.

"It's COLD!!!" Kalliel exclaimed. He had been able to feel temperature change as a ghost, but not to this degree.

"Duh…" Pyewacket said through a mouthful of snow before he continued nosing around. It was so new to the tropical prince. His own excitement kept the cold from bothering him.

Luigi pulled himself out of the white powder as Kalliel walked over to him, snow crunching beneath his boots. "Glad to see you're feeling better," he said rather cheerfully, wiping snow from his mustache. "I'm getting ready to go out for my morning run, care to join me?"

"Wouldn't hurt," Kalliel agreed.

Pyewacket bounded up beside them, eager to explore the snowy woods. "I believe I should tell you before we begin," Luigi said as he knelt in a starting position. "I free-run."

Kalliel looked at him with a hint of amazement. "An excellent skill to have…I-…er…" He stopped as he noticed Luigi taking off.

"You're not gonna beat me just by standing there!" The young man called back. Kalliel rolled his eyes and sighed. "I really need to learn to stop talking so much." With that, he set off after Luigi at a run, Pyewacket loping along at his side.

Luigi had set off through the woods towards town at a brisk run, his movement never losing its fluidity even when he ran up the side of a large flat boulder and rebounded onto a thick, snow covered tree branch nearby. Shifting his momentum, he leapt to another branch and in one continuous motion leapt back and forth between two sturdy tees until he reached the ground, where he took off running again. The sound of footsteps met his ears. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kalliel sprint up and take a flying leap at a large, flat-topped rock. For a second, Luigi thought that he wasn't going to make it over, but to his surprise, Kalliel placed his outstretched hands down on the rock, pushed his legs forward, and vaulted over the rest of the way, landing and taking off again in one fluid motion.

"What's this about me not being able to keep up?" Kalliel asked as he matched Luigi's pace. Pyewacket still remained a few yards behind, trying to keep up with the pair's acrobatics. He tried to copy Kalliel's move, but only succeeded in landing in a pile of snow, wings askew.

Luigi said nothing as he leapt over a few more rocks and roots. The outskirts of town were coming into view, and Kalliel was matching his efforts quite handsomely.

It was still early, so not very many people were out and about as the two men sprinted up to the side of a nearby mushroom house. They both vaulted up the side and onto the roof, silently running across and fairly flying across the gap. Several shop owners peered out quizzically to catch a glimpse of the two humans dashing along the rooftops with animal-like speed and precision.

Their running finally began to slow as they landed on the flat roof of a restaurant and leapt off of the other side. Both hit the ground at the same time and rolled to a skidding halt. Kalliel winced painfully as he panted. He was in excellent physical condition, much more so than Luigi, but the cold air in his lungs and on his face stung horribly.

"Alright, I'll bite," Luigi panted, hands resting on his knees. "Where'd you learn all that?"

"It is necessary that a knight of Eidolon knows how to overcome obstacles. Acrobatics can be used as retreat tactics as well as for hunting an enemy…You are forgetting that I was in peak physical condition when I died…anyway, it is good that you already have an excellent grasp on this ability…your training will be exponentially easier for you."

Luigi stood up and looked at him. Now that he was alive, the grey at his temples stood out more vividly against his dark, sable hair. "How old were you when you died?" He finally asked as Kalliel laced his fingers behind his head and took a few even breaths in recovery from the run.

"I…had just turned twenty-eight at the time of my death," he said with a smirk at Luigi's astounded reaction. "I was knighted twelve years before, however, so it wasn't like my reign was quick…"

"But what's with the Grandpa look?" Luigi said, motioning to his temples. Kalliel gave him a flat look.

"Working with ghosts tends to tax one's nerves…" he said.

"Oh no…" Luigi groaned woefully. "…I'm gonna go grey before Mario does…"

"Possibly…and I am not a Grandpa…I never had children…nor was I married," Kalliel said in frustration.

"Really?" Luigi asked in wonder. "…a good-looking guy like yourself…?"

"Ah," Kalliel said, realizing his blunder. "Allow me to rephrase that…I was to be married…but I…" He shrugged and put his hands up. Luigi nodded, getting the point as Pyewacket hopped over to them, slightly out of breath. "Izza too cold here…" he shivered. Small bunches of snow were still caught in his feathery, white wings from where he wiped out in the woods. Luigi helped brush the snow from his wings before rubbing his own nose to find that it had indeed gone numb.

"We'd better get back before we fall ill…" Kalliel suggested, wiping a few strands of wet hair from his face before turning his gaze to the ground rather sullenly. Luigi nodded and the three of them headed back.

Kalliel thought as they plodded along. The feeling of the wind in his face, the thrill of freefalling through empty space with a realization that his body was affected by gravity…it had reminded him of what it was like to be alive. It was a feeling that he now reprimanded himself for taking for granted.

"So…" Luigi started clearing his throat after a while. "You were going to be married?"

"Yes," Kalliel said sadly. Luigi felt the guilt monster in his stomach rear its head. "…but I went off to battle before the wedding and…never returned."

"Mind if I ask whom you were going to marry?" Luigi asked.

"Her Majesty Princess Celine Chanterelle of the Mushroom Kingdom," He said heavily. He frowned. All the regrets of his past were resurfacing.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" Luigi started before Kalliel held up his hand. "It's alright…It was well over a thousand years ago." Luigi looked at the hurt in his distant relative's eyes and felt that guilt monster writhe in the pit of his stomach. "I will see her again…when my task here is complete…"

Bam. Another pang of guilt. He was the reason Kalliel was still stuck here. "I don't have to have my power to read minds to tell what you're thinking…and no, it's not your fault. It's our law. And I want to ensure that it gets followed," he said with a small confident smile. "…Actually," he started, stroking his goatee, "I'm curious as to why you haven't proposed to young Princess Daisy yet…" He raised an eyebrow in Luigi's direction.

At this Luigi's wind-burnt cheeks turned a brighter shade of red than they already were. "Oh…erm, well…aheh…" he stammered. Kalliel smirked at him. "Urm…nerves, I suppose." He swallowed before continuing. "I really do love her…but I'm nervous."

"How long have you been courting?" Kalliel asked.

"Just over two years, now…"

"And you are certain that you love her?"

"Yes."

"…" Kalliel nodded. He patted him heartily on the shoulder. "Then I'm sure it will all work out…"

"I hope so too…with the mess I'm getting into now…it's another reason I want to wait. I-I just don't want to run the risk of having something happen to her in an attempt to get at me. I want to protect her, even if that means waiting to ask her to marry me."

Kalliel stopped. Luigi and Pyewacket looked back at him curiously. "What you just said, Luigi proves that you love her."

"Huh?"

"You're willing to ensure her safety before your own…I believe that in itself is a testament of the highest degree."

Luigi smiled. He was right. Still, now that the little guilt monster in his gut had settled again, he felt sympathy for Kalliel, if anything. He never would have guessed that about him-that he was to be married at one time. They both decided not to discuss the matter and let it drop. The conversation took on a lighter tone on the way back to the mansion, much to Luigi's relief. Kalliel was pleased that he regained full control of his body once more, though upon making it back to the house, he found that he was rather numb in his hands, feet and face.

The major issue on Luigi's mind was what was to take place the next evening: The Winter Ball.


	30. The White Wolf

A/N: Forgive me for the impromptu hiatus. I thought senior year would be easier…heh…WRONG!!! Well, it's all good now…Band's over and done and I've gotten most of the rest of the things out of the way, woo hoo! Thanks for being patient. I've made this one a bit longer to make up for the dead time. Note: My Icelandic isn't perfect. It's supposed to be somewhat of a made-up language anyway. Sorry to those of you who do speak true Icelandic.

**Chapter 30: The White Wolf**

The smell of blood and dust mingled with the sulfurous gasses that blew across the windswept steppes of Darkland. The same wind curled up the side of a rocky outcrop overlooking the lava valley that nestled the capital and Bowser's keep. Small pebbles at the top crunched as Judges appeared and glowered down at the scene below.

Volcanoes and geysers flared angrily as puffs of black smoke wafted amongst the Koopatrols and guards. They swung their weapons in a futile attempt to ward off the clouds of shadow before being overwhelmed and slain. The black mists then turned the bodies into animated shadow versions, twisted mockeries of their former selves. Judges grinned wickedly.

"Things are going smoothly, I presume?" Grym said as he sidled up beside his brother. Judges chuckled.

"Of course…"

"Well, judging by your face, I would've assumed so…" Grym looked down at the scene below and smiled, his teeth glinting in the red light from the flows.

"Yes…The time has come…when the earth shall be stained red with fire and blood…" Judges laughed as the wind ruffled their manes and temporarily scattered the clouds of shadow about their feet, exposing for a second the short, sharp claws that adorned their paws.

"Stop being dramatic," Grym shook his head as Judges laughed. "Kamek wants you present at this time…"

"Oh? Has our _prince_ finally come to his senses?"

"No…we're going to speed up the process," Grym said before slinking into a puddle of shadow and sliding off of the cliff. Judges followed without a word.

Nearly half-way across the kingdom, the Valdyr scout Geyma stood at the base of the ridge separating his kingdom with the land of darkness. His fur was blackened by falling soot, rendering him relatively invisible to prying eyes. With a snuffle and a shake of his head, he released a cloud of dust from his fur before raising his spyglass to his eye. He could see small clouds of black mist everywhere beyond the ring of three volcanoes that loomed up out of the wastes. What he was witnessing was going to have to wait, though…his King had left for the Mushroom Kingdom early that morning and wouldn't be back for a few days. His job done for the day, he scrambled back up the side of the mountains; at times climbing like a normal person, at others, performing amazing vertical leaps. After a while, he reached the top to find his snow-white dragon asleep in a powdery pile of snow.

"Vekja upp , minn vinur... ver mygla go…okkar ástand er skelfilegur "(Wake up, my friend…we must go…our situation is dire…) He spoke in Icelandic as he gently woke the dragon. It pulled itself from the snow and yawned contentedly. It nodded and helped the wolf onto its back.

"Svo ver mygla flýtir" (Then we best hurry), The dragon said as it took off across the snow field, the faint sunlight glittering on its pearly scales.

* * *

"Whew, it's cold out there," Luigi said as he entered the mansion. Kalliel stiffly stepped over the threshold.

"Ooohhh…" Kalliel groaned, feeling the pain in his limbs. He mentally berated himself for pushing himself like that. _Shame on you Kalliel, you should know better than to do something like that…I suppose it happens though, I am quite forgetful as of late…_

Pyewacket followed, grunting as he stiffly folded his cold wings against him to allow him to enter the house. He braced his two large feet as Luigi turned to him with a quirked eyebrow.

"No, NO! Wait!!..." The two men shouted as a spray of cold melting snow showered them. Pyewacket ceased his shaking with a flick of his tail and looked at them with a sheepish grin, "Sorry…"

"M-Master Kalliel!!" Luigi's ghostly butler exclaimed upon entering the room and eyeing the two young men. The ghost looked accusingly at Luigi, who raised an eyebrow at his butler's behavior. "What on Earth have you gotten yourselves into? Why…the both of you look as though you've just had a fight with Judges…and Master Luigi, you know quite well that a man of Master Kalliel's stature does not need to run around in _street clothes_!!"

Luigi and Kalliel looked at each other as the ghost continued on his miniature tirade. "Shivers, it's quite alright, I am quite comfortable with these, actually…Besides, it's only for a little while," Kalliel said with finality. Shivers paused and sighed deeply.

"Take a chill pill," Luigi said light-heartedly, "Actually just go outside." He finished with a nod. Shivers looked back and forth from Luigi to Kalliel.

"Shivers, would you mind fetching us some tea, please?" Kalliel asked politely, clearing away the awkward silence that was beginning to descend upon them like a cloud of fog. Shivers sighed once again and retreated into the kitchen.

"Okie dokie…" Luigi said slowly and flatly. "Now that that's over, I have some questions for you," he said as he eyed his relative. Kalliel hadn't really been paying attention. "I'm sorry?" he looked at Luigi with confusion.

"Well, I don't know a whole lot about you," Luigi explained as they wandered into the living room and flopped down in a few chairs opposite of each other. "…and you're the only living relative I have other than Mario…er, living is in I mean…erm…existing…and since I'm going to be your successor, I think it's only fair you tell me a little more about yourself."

"We have _catching up_ to do…am I correct?"

Luigi nodded.

Kalliel merely smiled, sending a small wave of impatience through Luigi. "My details will be revealed all in good time." A single sentence, no more, was all that was spoken. Luigi simply let his impatience die away, he said it would be revealed, so he would wait. He sighed and looked around for the professor. He was nowhere to be found; nor was Maverick.

Luigi got up and looked around again, "Mav?" He called. Kalliel raised his eyes up to him in question. "I'll be back in a few minutes." Kalliel yawned and stretched before nodding. Luigi made a beeline for the lab in the cellars. He knocked on the door, "Professor?"

"Yeah?" called the old man's voice from inside. There was a small commotion behind the heavy door.

"Is Mav in there with you?"

"Stop yellin' through the door!" Gadd retorted. Luigi rolled his eyes and lifted the latch before stepping through the doorway into the dimly lit workroom. He smiled at the sight: Gadd was seated on his stool hunched over a set of blueprints. Closer inspection revealed them to be a set of plan's for the Pyewacket's addition to the house. "Now…" The old man said as he removed his glasses to clean them, "What can I do for you, lad?"

"Have you seen Ma-waagh!!" Luigi was startled as the little boo appeared in front of his face with a large pair of welding goggles over his eyes. Luigi put a hand to his chest as he tried to stop his heart from leaping out of his ribcage. The little boo grinned before licking his friend on the nose. He pushed the goggles slightly above his eyes with his flipper-like arms and beamed.

Luigi patted him on the head, "There you are…" He sighed, patting his friend on the head. "Professor…what's with the goggles?" Luigi asked.

"He doesn't like bright light…plus that was the _only_ way I could get him to stop scratching at his face…" The tiny old man said in frustration as Maverick continued to beam sheepishly.

"Well, what happened?" Luigi asked curiously.

Gadd shrugged, "I dunno…probably got into something when he was snuffling around in the greenhouse. It'll be fine so long as he doesn't _scratch _at it…besides, who knows? They might actually come in handy." Gadd placed emphasis on the last three words of his first sentence to make sure Maverick had understood him. Luigi chuckled warmly.

* * *

Meanwhile outside, Kalliel was perched upon Pyewacket's back as he picked apples from the higher branches of one of the trees in the front yard. He stretched as he reached for the last few. On the ground around the dino's feet lay a large basket filled to the brim with russet fruit. Upon seeing that the last few apples were too high, Kalliel pulled himself into the branches and up to the top. He successfully gathered the last few before looking down at the winged yoshi.

"Open," He said with a grin.

Pyewacket's tail twitched excitedly as Kalliel dropped a few apples into his open mouth. He chewed them happily as Kalliel dropped the last few down to him, which then went into the full tub on the ground. "Any good?" Kalliel asked as he climbed down a few feet.

"Yessah!" Pyewacket beamed as he wiped juice from his mouth. Kalliel smiled as he leaned back for a moment before launching himself out of the tree with a leap. His smile broadened as the feeling of falling came to him. Eyebrows knitting in concentration, he prepared himself for the landing only to find that instead of landing on solid ground, he plopped right into a deep pile of snow with a muffled 'POOF'. Pyewacket flopped to the ground laughing as the small plume of fresh powder fluttered back to the ground. Still giggling, the young prince staggered over and lowered his tail, pulling Kalliel out of the ground. He still snickered as the man looked at him from under snow-covered eyebrows.

"Very funny," Kalliel said, fighting back a grin as he let go of the scaly tail and wiped the white crystals from his goatee and hair. Pyewacket stopped laughing and sniffed at the air, claws digging anxiously into the snowy ground. "Eh…?" Kalliel questioned as he looked around the clearing. Nothing out of the ordinary; Chompy asleep in his thicket, the white-walled mansion against a quiet forest, a silent yard from what he could see. Still, he had a small curious feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Hm…Something's coming, I wonder what…"

The pair stood watching the road silently for a moment before a sound met their ears. Slow, heavy hoof beats sounded as a burly, red-haired, square jawed man atop a huge black draft horse plodded up the snow-covered path towards them.

* * *

"I like how this looks," Luigi said as he walked up the stairs, gazing at the blueprints. "You've really outdone yourself…it's roomy and simple, but elegant. Oh boy, Pyewacket's gonna love this!"

Gadd smirked as he adjusted his glasses. "'Course," he said smugly. Maverick darted to and fro, adjusting his new pair of goggles happily as he warbled. As Luigi and Gadd discussed the construction plans in further detail, Maverick fluttered passed a window and stopped. He stared out for a few more seconds before letting out a short, loud bark.

"What's wrong?" Luigi asked, raising an eyebrow. Shivers, who had gone to the door and peeked out, cleared his throat and spoke, "Master Luigi, I believe there is someone out there to see you." He opened and held the door for the young man as he stepped out into the chilly air. Luigi's eyes widened and a grin spread across his face as he caught sight of a large man dismounting from a massive Clydesdale. "King Windbag!" Luigi proclaimed. A wave of shock passed over Kalliel who, almost mechanically, dropped to his knees in reverence.

He was dressed in a simple black turtleneck sweater, black slacks, shiny leather shoes and a broad leather belt, from which dangled a shimmering wand. No signs of royal robes or pendants, he looked as if he had merely gone out for a casual walk. Even with the plain attire, he still commanded an aura of regality.

A grin mirroring Luigi's spread across his weathered face. "Nah, don't bother with formalities, lad," he said to Kalliel. Kalliel rose to his feet and bowed once more, receiving a hearty chuckle from the towering man. "C'mere, you!" He growled as he pulled Luigi into a hold that lifted him off of the ground and knuckled his head.

"Well, you're certainly a sight for sore eyes," Luigi rasped, "Ow…Nuggie!!" He dropped out of the bear-like grip and laughed as he rubbed his head.

There was a dull thud and a hiss behind them. Kalliel turned to see Pyewacket struggling in vain to carry the tub of apples to the house by himself. With a quick bow, he excused himself politely and went to help the frustrated dinosaur. "Nice kid," Windbag said, "…Who is he?"

Luigi shrugged, "Family." He thought for a moment, "So, what brings you out here?"

"Just out for a stroll…" He paused for a moment as the horse snorted and flipped its mane irritably, "Vera enn, Róa, Anya…" The black mare quieted and nickered softly. The great king stroked her nose gently, "This is Anya, and she belongs to a dear friend of mine." Luigi gingerly stroked her nose. Her eyes were calm as she stared at him. After it became apparent that the nose pats were finished, she pawed at the ground with her hoof, snow clinging to the dark feather of her leg, as she sought grass to nibble. "Anyway…there's not much to do up at the castle…"

Luigi looked around, "Where are your guards…?"

Windbag looked around for a moment, "Sigurd! Hvar ert thú!?" He turned his head towards the woods and smiled, "Ah…" Luigi followed his gaze and was startled by what he saw. Against a snow bank no more than ten feet away, sat a massive white wolf. His appearance immediately reminded Luigi of Hrolf and Randulf from the Spirit palace, so he assumed that they were of the same race. At the mention of his name, he stood, wide hind paws sinking into the snow. Like Hrolf and Randulf, he was tall, much more so than even King Windbag, though unlike the other Valdyr Luigi had seen, his fur was snow white. No wonder he hadn't seen him until now; against a snow bank, he was invisible. He had a shock of thick white 'hair' that framed his face almost like a mane and was clad in a simple leather jerkin, deerskin breeches, a heavy leather belt, and a pair of silvery greaves that extended from his knees to his ankles like shin guards. His forearms were equipped with thick, fingerless armored gauntlets, each set with a blood-red garnet on the back of the hand-piece. The most striking feature about him was his eyes. They were the same color as the gems on the backs of his hands. On top of that, on his forehead between his eyes was a small grayish star-shaped mark.

Luigi looked up at him and swallowed. This Valdyr looked so stern, so serious. He felt intimidated by his sheer size, as he was bigger than any he'd seen; bulkier too. The muscles in his arms and upper body made it apparent that if he willed it, he could snap Luigi in two like a stick. Instead, he knelt calmly before the younger Mario brother and smiled silently. "Luigi, meet Sigurd." The Sut-Ulfr extended a massive paw and shook Luigi's hand vigorously.

"Hi," Luigi smiled warmly, relieved to know that he was friendly. The large wolf's face changed to one of a puppy-like happiness. He gave a small, deep 'yip' in acknowledgement. "He…doesn't talk?" Luigi queried as Kalliel and Pyewacket returned, Maverick accompanying them as well.

Windbag sighed, "Nope…never has." He watched as the boo spied the white wolf and cautiously approached him. Sigurd turned and stared. After a few moments, the massive Valdyr sniffed the small boo and gave a short bark. Maverick giggled and chirped in response before the two began to play. Sigurd's tail swished back and forth excitedly as he dropped to all fours, pink tongue lolling as his mannerism changed from human to dog. Luigi and Windbag watched curiously as they chased each other through the snow, barking and warbling every now and then.

"Too cool…" Windbag laughed, "I've never seen him this excited or this playful before."

"They're both like puppies," Luigi commented.

"I can't help but wonder why they took to each other so," Kalliel commented curiously. "You said he does not speak, your majesty?"

"Nah…he barks and grumbles. Though the resemblance between the two is uncanny; same coloration, same color eyes," Windbag stopped and put his hand to his chin in thought. "Maybe it's that genetic thing or something…I dunno." Anya was growing restless again and snorted impatiently. Kalliel said something in a low voice that instantly calmed her before producing an apple from the pocket of his jacket. The Clydesdale sniffed at it before taking it in one bite. That seemed to quell her feelings of impatience. They all watched the two white beings tussling in the snow for a few moments more before Sigurd stiffened and sniffed the air, ears forward. He gave a loud growl to alert his king.

"Huh…?" Windbag looked to his bodyguard.

"Graagh, Grrrrrraarrgh…." Sigurd growled urgently, crimson eyes narrowing.

"Oh boy…" He trailed off as he quickly leapt up into the saddle atop the black mare. Anya's ears backed with tension as she nickered uneasily. There was small clink as King Windbag unfastened the silver and crystal wand from his belt: the wand that signified leadership of one of the seven kingdoms. "If anyone asks, you didn't see me…got it?" He asked sternly.

Luigi raised an eyebrow, "Went for a stroll…you snuck out didn't you?"

Windbag gave a mischievous chuckle, "Damn right I did…Now, you didn't see me…or else I'll string you up by your thumbs," He gave a wink and a laugh as he nudged Anya into a fast trot that soon became a gallop. "Sigurd! Koma!!" He barked in Icelandic as he waved the crystal wand above his head. The snow whipped about in a mini blizzard, covering the large horse tracks as well as everything else. When it finally cleared, the yard was silent again with no trace that the Ice King and his Valdyr had been there. Luigi wiped the snow from his face as Pyewacket lowered his wings and shook. In the distance, they could hear the fading thuds of Anya's hooves as the two fled.

Maverick burbled as he approached Luigi, sliding his goggles back up to the top of his face. Luigi didn't speak, for running up the main path came a couple of the palace guards. The two toads stopped in front of him and doubled over panting. "H-Hey…Luigi, have you seen King…W-Windbag?" One of the toads asked as the other adjusted his cloak.

Luigi sighed slightly, holding in a chuckle, "No…Sorry guys. Are you sure he came this way?" He heard a quiet sigh from Kalliel and he could just picture the man shaking his head.

"We're sure," the first guard said, "Haah…the princess won't be too happy…Well, thanks Luigi, sorry to bother you." The two plodded back towards town mumbling to each other. Luigi could make out the words, "…he's worse than a teenager…"

"I don't blame him for sneaking out like that…" Luigi shrugged to Kalliel who chuckled.

"I will admit he has a prominent casual streak for a king, though you two seemed like family from what I noticed," Kalliel said.

"He's like an uncle to me, really. As for the wild streak, it's just who he is. He's actually pretty fun once you get to know him…" Luigi said.

"Just don't piss him off…" Gadd said as he came up behind them, snow crunching under his feet. "It's like opening ten cans of whoop-ass at once."

Luigi chuckled nervously, remembering his visit to Ice land several years ago. His fury came quickly and simmered like a volcano for hours afterward. "That's why Ludwig was so concerned when he visited. Heh, Windbag could take out Bowser and half of his army by _himself_ if he wanted to…"

"It is to be expected," Kalliel said. "His is a culture that has long withstood the waves of change and time by preserving their warrior heritage. Even in my day, Ice Land was a country of noble fighters. It has and always will remain a stronghold for our order and I feel that your friendship with him will be of the utmost importance in the battles to come."

Luigi heaved a sigh and scratched his head. He grimaced at the thought of his burden. If what Kalliel said was true though, it was one that he didn't shoulder alone. "Out of curiosity…who was the king in your time?"

"Beowulf…" Kalliel pulled at his goatee in thought and wore an expression of one remembering an old friend. "Like Windbag, he was full of fire and brimstone…interestingly enough though, he was half Sut-Ulfr…" Kalliel's eyebrows lowered as he tried to remember. He was killed shortly before I…and the title went to his cousin. The current king is more than likely descended from him, if I'm not mistaken."

"I'm certainly hoping he was human…Windbag looks enough like a bulldog," Luigi chuckled.

"That's not very nice," Kalliel retorted with a smirk. Luigi shrugged as he walked back to the house with everyone in tow. "Well he does…besides, we talk smack to each other all the time."

When Luigi opened the door he was greeted by the image of Shivers slumped against the wall looking terrified and gnawing uneasily at the tips of his fingers. "What's wrong?"

"It's Madame…she's inconsolable."

There was an uneasy pause as Shivers bit at his fingers. Kalliel cleared his throat, breaking the silence, "…why?"

"I don't know," Shivers panicked, "…but she's hysterical. Something's scared her, but she won't tell me…"

"That's it…" Gadd growled as Kalliel strode past him towards the stairs, "They're going back into their paintings."

"No!" Luigi ordered, "Clairvoya stays."

"A-and me, Master Luigi, please!!" Shivers gasped, clasping his hands together.

"…and Shivers."

"All right," Gadd grumbled. "…I can't risk everyone panicking. Melody? Biff? Slim? Come to the lab please…don't make me get the vacuum."

"No…please, not Ms. Melody…" Shivers groaned.

"It's for her own safety," Luigi consoled him. If Clairvoya was stricken about something…it usually didn't bode well for anyone. He made his way to the stairs and stopped. "Slim…? Oh…how long has he been out…?" He grimaced. He didn't even know his household pool shark had been let out of his painting. He continued down the stairs and stopped outside Madame's room, sure enough he could hear moans of anguish. A small groan came from the floor. Luigi looked down to see Kalliel slumped against the wall, one hand clutching his forehead.

"How is she…?"

"I don't know…ooh…" He grimaced.

"You alright?"

"She hit me with a candle," Kalliel said, turning his face to Luigi and removing his hand where a small cut was at the top of his forehead near his hairline. The skin around it was beginning to turn a bluish purple. He wiped the blood that was slowly oozing out away before applying more pressure to it with his hand.

"And you didn't duck?" Luigi asked in hopes to merely joke with him.

"I forgot…She has good aim…and she throws hard…"

Luigi grimaced before slowly opened the door. The wailing inside increased. He quickly darted in and closed the heavy door, coughing a few times because of the thick smell of incense.

"GET OUT!!!" Madame Clairvoya bellowed angrily. Luigi spotted her floating above her diadem, hands clutching at her face. There was a whoosh as something hard rushed past his head and crashed with a metallic CLANG into the call behind him.

"Madame! It's me!!" He called as he dodged a few more objects. "Calm down!!" He flicked his flashlight on and pointed it at her, causing her to cry out and freeze. The instant he lowered the beam though, he actions continued. "Doom!!" She cried. "Ashes!! All is Ashes!!!"

"…"

"Prince of Darkness!! Destruction!!! Death!!!" She screamed. Luigi grew tired of this and thought through his knowledge granted to him by the book. He bellowed out a few short words in Star speak that caused her to instantly stiffen and float back to her chair. She panted heavily, but it was clear the she had calmed. Luigi clutched at his throat. His voice box, esophagus, and mouth all burned as if he had swallowed a mouthful of pepper. He didn't like using the verbal spells like that, but he saw no other alternative.

"…Now…" he croaked. He coughed and cleared his throat, "What's wrong?"

"Soul of despair…embedded within the heart of darkness…Bowser…"

So that was it. Luigi knew she feared Bowser with every once of her ethereal being, but why? What was it about the clumsy juggernaut that mortified her so? He and his brother had defeated him countless times before, but why was she getting so worked up?

"I…I must sleep now…" Her voice caught in her throat as she choked back a sob. "Tell Kalliel that I am dearly sniff sorry," she whispered as tears streamed down her face. Her grief was understandable, so Luigi let her be. She faded to a small light which disappeared back into the crystal ball. The room was silent once more.

He reemerged into the hallway to find Shivers extending an Ice pack to Kalliel who graciously took it and applied it to his head. "She says she's sorry," Luigi smiled.

Kalliel nodded and sighed with relief. "Did you find anything out?"

"Why is she so terrified of Bowser?"

"…I don't know," Kalliel sighed again. "She has her moments. She's expressed her concern to me ever since I woke up two and a half decades ago."

"Well, I figured I'd wait until the morning to ask her if she's seen anything in the future. Seven weeks isn't that long of a time, but it's still something. Maybe she's foreseen an invasion or something…ah well, I won't press it now…"

"That is a very good plan," Kalliel said, adjusting the compress on his face. "Oof…I believe this will hurt in the morning, haha." Luigi helped him to his feet and they went back up the stairs to the foyer. They both decided that it would be a good time to turn in for the night. Tomorrow would be busy for the both of them, they knew. Luigi still couldn't help but feel frustrated. Why did these things happen around times when he needed to worry about other things?


	31. An Epic Unfolding

Chapter 31:

A/N: I lied……All I can say is oops…It'll pick up from here folks, thank you so much for being patient. This was a transition period for me and the story, so here we go, Luigi's coming to the cross-roads, now.

* * *

Chapter 31: An Epic Unfolding

The first thing Kalliel noticed when he awoke the next morning was that he had overslept. He groaned as he shielded his face from the ray of sunlight that was glaring through the window. Shaking his head groggily, he flung his shaggy dark hair out of his face. He grimaced when a dull ache radiated from his hairline. He gently touched his hand to his forehead and winced when he brushed over a small lump.

He climbed out of his bed and wandered over to the mirror hanging on the wall. Sure enough, he had a large bruise where he had been clocked by the flying candelabra last night. He winced, and dressed quickly before hurrying down the stairs to the living room, where he saw the professor seated comfortably in his chair sipping at a cup of coffee. "He's outside, if yer lookin' for 'im," Gadd said, motioning to the door, "I'd recommend you two start getting ready to go," The professor grunted.

Kalliel raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"The council starts at two-o'-clock today," Gadd stated.

"Oh…oh my…" Kalliel said, the look on his face mirroring the typical 'Deer-in-headlights.' "I had forgotten entirely." He quickly bolted out the front door to find Luigi and Pyewacket stacking piles of two-by-fours neatly on the ground.

"Weegie gonna make Pyewacket a new house?" Pyewacket questioned as Maverick zoomed back and forth, straightening out the pile as more was added to it.

"Yep," Luigi said, as he pulled out a large rolled up piece of paper that was sticking out of his back pocket. He unrolled it and showed it to the blue dino. "See, when we're done with it, it'll have heating and running water, not to mention it'll accommodate your size no matter how much you grow over the next few months."

Pyewacket thought for a moment, "What if Pyewacket get lonely…?" He asked, wings drooping a bit. Luigi ruffled his mane, "No worries, you won't be that far from us."

He perked up rapidly at that statement and even more so when he spied Kalliel. Luigi smiled at him, "Good morning, feeling any better?" he asked politely, pointing to his forehead.

"Yes, much better, thank you. Not one to be the bearer of bad news or anything, but do you think we should be preparing for the assembly?"

"Oh…" Luigi paused, slightly hesitant. This was going to be a somewhat nerve-wracking day and he was trying to keep himself busy to keep his mind off the stress. This time it would be different; instead of being one of Peach's secondaries, he would be on his own, but he had Kalliel. If it was possible, he would try to get the professor to be a secondary as well. He could use the support. His biggest problem that lay ahead, however, lay in how he was going to alert the country leaders to Kamek's threat without causing a mass panic. True he had better speaking skills than his brother, but he knew that no amount of fast talking would make this easier. The outcome was going to be one of three things: One, he would create a panic, Two, everything would be fine and they would all take it calmly, or Three…no one would believe him…

"Yeah, I'll be getting ready in a few minutes. I'm just laying some things out to get ready to build Pyewacket's room," he said, fondly patting the blue dino on the neck. "You think when we get back can you give me a hand with it?"

Kalliel nodded, "Of course, I- Waah!" He exclaimed as he had his feet knocked out from under him by a speeding koopa shell.

"Sorry!!" Called a voice from the edge of the woods as Hammer came running up the path. Breaker emerged from the shell, which had managed to plough into the far snow bank. "We were having fun with physics!" Hammer chirped as he helped Kalliel to his feet.

"It's fun!" Breaker grinned, "Sorry buddy. No hard feelings, right?"

"Fun with physics, huh…what have we learned?" Luigi asked, stifling a laugh.

"That shells and Ice don't mix," Breaker beamed goofily. He spied Maverick hovering over the pile of lumber, "Hey, wazzup, homie!?" He hollered.

Maverick zoomed over and spun circles around Breaker in excitement. Luigi looked around, Kalliel voicing what he was thinking, "Where's Marius?" His question was answered as another Hammer bro came barreling up the path on his back, once again knocking Kalliel's legs out from under him.

"Waah!!" Marius cried as he zoomed right into a snow bank. Hammer and Luigi stifled a laugh while Breaker was content with guffawing loudly, clutching his sides as he did so. Kalliel sighed as he looked at Breaker and Hammer and back to Marius, "Not you too."

"No, not me… I tripped is all," He replied, picking himself up and dusting himself off. He smirked a bit. "I won't lie, it was fun…Sorry, though," he said to Kalliel. Kalliel chuckled and shook his head, brushing the powdery snow out of his goatee.

"Kalliel!" Called the Professor as he approached them, tightening his lab coat around him. "May I have a word with'ya?"

"Oh, professor? Yes, of course," He gave a nod of his head and walked over to the tiny old man before kneeling in front of him, where they began talking in hushed tones.

Wonder what they're on about? Luigi mused to himself as Breaker and Hammer began pelting Marius with snowballs.

"Aww, come on, ya old stiff, do that trick again!" Breaker urged as he lobbed another at his friend's head.

Marius knocked them away with his fists, "I said no!" He spluttered as a few of them hit him in the face. "Alright, that's it, you two!" He ducked and rolled up his sleeves. Breaker and Hammer looked at each other eagerly and started lobbing more snowballs at him. Marius stood with his hands in front of him.

"Watch this, Weege. This is cool!" Hammer said with a grin, "Woaahh!" He exclaimed as Marius blocked another snowball with his open palm, only this time a small burst of flame erupted from his hand and the snowball didn't come into contact with him at all. The air around them heated up almost instantly, ridding their limbs of the chill. Several more snowballs followed by several more small explosions filled the air as Marius batted them away. The heated snow rapidly turned to water which splashed to the ground and froze, creating a small pool of ice at their feet. When they were done, Breaker and Hammer had been knocked onto their bottoms, covered in melting snow and water. Marius stood, poised as if ready for another barrage, painting.

Pyewacket clapped his paws together in amusement as Luigi and Maverick stared wide-eyed and open-mouthed. Maverick closed his mouth and shut Luigi's with a peep. Luigi shook his head from amazement, "My, my…you've been practicing."

Marius recovered from his stance and rubbed his head sheepishly. "It's no big deal. I've just been taking more time to myself to mess around. All I know is fire though. Hey Luigi?" He looked hopefully at him, "If it's not gonna be too much trouble, do you think you can teach me other things? Y'know…like lightning and water? I got it up here," he said, tapping his temple, "but I just need some help."

Luigi paused in shock for a moment then smiled. Marius was so determined. Luigi nodded, he had made a promise to Marius. He would do whatever it took to regain his memory. "Alright."

Kalliel listened intently and answered as best as he could as Gadd bombarded him with statements and questions. "…I need you to tell me honestly," Gadd started as he continued to interrogate the former knight. "I overheard you telling Luigi about King Beowulf." Kalliel nodded. Gadd continued, speaking hurriedly, "Was he really half Sut-Ulfr?"

"I believe so."

"Tell me. From any logical reasoning, could he have been a werewolf?"

Kalliel paused in shock. "I don't know…but that's not to say it's not possible…why, what is the matter?"

"That horse King Windbag had yesterday belongs to my cousin Nikolai Asimov…and he hunts werewolves…Quite avidly." Gadd stared at the dark-haired man. Kalliel looked somewhat puzzled. It finally dawned on him what the professor was worried about.

"Not to fear, professor. King Beowulf had no children and died without a true heir. The title went to his second cousin. It is certain that King Windbag is not derived from his direct bloodline." Kalliel's eyebrows knitted. "Though I do see the issue that would arrive if the king was proven to have werewolf blood in his veins. We need Magnus' help; we can't afford to have him murdered."

"My cousin's not bloodthirsty…he just…takes his work very seriously…believes them to be spawn of the devil...no amount of supposed redemption can clear your name. I apologize for questioning you so harshly."

"It is quite alright, professor, no harm done. Though I would assume that Windbag keeps your cousin close."

Gadd nodded, "Most of the time…He doesn't really bode well with the Ulfr, though."

"Understandable. In the northlands werewolves were always a problem, even in my time. They hid in the forests, among the populace, even in rare cases amongst the Sut-Ulfr, foul creatures indeed. More animal than man."

"As such, he takes his work seriously," Gadd said again as he shuddered, tearing his mind away from the thought. "Anyway…more likely than not, he will be at the council with Windbag…" He looked over at the group of youngsters, "Luigi, we'd better go!" He looked at Kalliel as he stood up, "You too, c'mon, get suited up. I have something in the back that might fit you, come on."

"Alright, I'll see you guys later," Luigi said as he waved to the three Hammer Bros. Pyewacket looked quizzically at Luigi, "Pyewacket comin' too?"

Luigi patted his nose, "Not right now, but you can come to the party at the castle later, okay?"

"Parties are fun!!" Pyewacket yipped, tail wagging excitedly.

"That's right," Luigi rubbed his head again before going into the house.

He quickly headed to his room and pulled out the black jacked and slacks and laid them on the bed.

"Nu-uh," Gadd said from the doorway, "Kalliel says y'need to wear your coat."

"My…coat?" He looked over to the corner where his surcoat was hanging on a sewing dummy. "Ah…Right." He needed to look formal after all. He still couldn't help feeling a little hesitant as he changed into the tan pants and white high-collared shirt. What if he made too big of a stir? What if nothing happened? What if…? Too many 'what ifs.' What if Daisy was there? Daisy… He had almost forgotten how long it had been since he had seen her. He had talked with her back on the island, but he had not seen her in a couple of months. A smile crept onto his face as he pulled the green surcoat over his head. Luigi began to feel the same excited giddiness that he had experienced when he first fell for her. How he had missed her so.

He checked himself in the mirror, straightening his shaggy hair as best as he could and left his room. He hurried down the stairs to the living room to find Shivers straightening out Kalliel's tie. He quietly placed a hand over his mouth to stifle a grin.

"What is this infernal contraption?!" He looked over to Luigi, "Help me out, please…" he begged.

"It's called a tie."

"…No…it's a torture device of some kind," Kalliel choked out.

"Well, I can understand your confusion, but relax," Luigi urged, "You'll strangle yourself."

"Hrrk…" Kalliel gasped as Shivers finished. He loosened it just slightly.

"Sorry, it didn't need to be that tight, but you get the idea…" Gadd said, sticking his hands into his pockets.

"I see…" He muttered as he checked himself in the mirror. Luigi nodded his approval, "Hose ya' down, you look quite nice," he smirked. "Where'd you get the suit professor?"

"Oh, one of the CEO's at the company went to put in an order fer me, problem is, that bumbling blockhead got the measurements wrong. All the better though. It fits him perfectly."

It was a dark-grey jacket over an indigo-blue shirt accompanied by a pair of dark-grey slacks and shiny dark-brown leather shoes. Kalliel shook his head as he admired his reflection with a sad smile. Oh…Celine, if only you could see me now… He could see by their reflections that the professor and Luigi had not seen his saddened countenance. He shrugged his shoulders a few times, admiring at how the material didn't cling to his muscles.

His thoughts still laden with his long-lost fiancée, he turned to face Luigi who grinned. "Looks like we have officially switched roles," he laughed. Kalliel chuckled with a small smile, "seems that way, doesn't it?" He looked around, "Eh? Where is the professor?"

"Hm? Oh?" Luigi looked around, "Gadd?"

"I'll be out in a minute!" Came an annoyed reply from the spare room.

Kalliel and Luigi nodded silently. Kalliel shoved his hands into his pockets and looked at his distant relative calmly.

"Well," He cleared his throat. Luigi looked at him, "Are you ready?" He asked.

Luigi crossed his arms and shrugged. As apathetic as he appeared, he was nervous. "I guess…" He mumbled. "Though I'm not worried about public speaking…it's a matter of how to go about telling people about our little problem."

"I'm sure you'll have plenty of support."

"Some of them can't see past the end of their nose…"

"Y-you don't think there'll be a panic, do you?" Luigi asked nervously.

"I can't say…Most likely, they won't believe you-"

"Real helpful…" Luigi sighed.

"Now, now…Let's not give up just yet. Don't count the chickens before they hatch. You see, if the kings of the countries fail to pay heed to your warnings, then they will see their own folly in time. The best we can do is provide a safety net if that time does indeed come," Kalliel said, trying to reassure the younger man.

Luigi shook his head. "But I don't want that chance to come. If lives are lost because of me, I wouldn't be able to take it. It was bad enough the Yoshis on Isla Tortuga lost their lives for me when we were attacked by the Manticores. I couldn't bear the thought of putting an entire kingdom at risk…" He trailed off, eyes turning slowly to the ground. Kalliel crossed his arms and smiled, Luigi had passed his test. "That, my friend, is exactly what I wanted to hear. I wouldn't expect anything less from my successor." He grinned at him, a smirk dancing on his features. "You are a compassionate man, Luigi. That is a trait an Eidolon knight must possess if he is to stand any chance against the legions of darkness."

"You make it sound like an epic…" Luigi retorted with a good-natured smirk.

"An Epic it is. This is your story, Luigi…My part, is mostly done. The strength you possess, and the love you share with your friends are weapons and armor far greater than any that Kamek or his minions can ever possess," Kalliel sagely noted.

Luigi chuckled and rubbed his head. "This sounds like one of those mushy fairy tales."

Kalliel couldn't help but chuckle as well. "Laugh as you may, it is true. I don't need my telepathy to see this. Your friends still have their parts to play in this epic. This is a journey, and it will take all of you to reach the end."

"A victory is meaningless unless there are friends there to share it with…"

Kalliel closed his eyes and nodded. "Spoken truly." Luigi's mind wandered to his friends. They had always been supportive and had been there when he needed them. The least he could do was do the same. He thought of Daisy. A new anxious feeling filled his gut.

"I've worn that look many a time. Tell me…your thoughts dwell on your beloved, yes?" Kalliel questioned.

Luigi nodded with a small smile. "It's just…I haven't seen her in so long…I wonder how she'll react. D-do you think she's missed me too?"

Kalliel sighed, exasperated. "Incredible…" He shook his head. "Of course. An old saying goes, 'The joy of meeting pays the pangs of absence, else who could bear it?' I am certain she misses you, too." Luigi looked skeptical. Kalliel shook his head again, "Not one to be cocky, but when have I steered you wrong?"

"Well…lessee, you got me eaten by a gigantic dragon thing, got me into trouble with three lion-thingies and their crazy, psychopathic master bent on destroying life as we know it…the list goes on you know…"

"I set you down the right paths; you got yourself eaten. As for Kamek and the Manticores, they've been there since the beginning of time…but never has he let them roam free like this. He's acting out of desperation."

Luigi paused for a moment and nodded in defeat, "Touché…" He himself had been the one who had practically jumped into the undead dragon's mouth. It had been to save Maverick, but nonetheless, Kalliel had a point. "What about you though?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't you ever miss Lady Celine?"

Kalliel remained painfully silent. Luigi felt that stone of guilt settle into his stomach. He had a feeling it was these memories of his fiancée that he had been dwelling on all day. Kalliel smiled painfully, "Not a day goes by where I don't think of her."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"It's quite alright." Kalliel paused as he adjusted his tie uncomfortably. "I have a duty to fulfill. That comes before all else."

"Hey! Maybe I could…" Luigi dropped that thought as Kalliel calmly shook his head.

"No…it is not advisable. True, I would be able to be with her temporarily. But bringing her back to life would only mean that she would have to endure the torments of this world all over again. I love her too much to see her suffer…I thank you for your generous offer, though." He smiled at him.

"Well, aren't you two 'bout as happy-looking as a pair of corpses, (Oh, sorry for the dead joke, Kalliel…)" Gadd mumbled as he approached the two.

"No offense taken, professor…umm…if you don't mind me saying, sir, but that is an interesting suit, you have there."

"Like it?" He smiled, hooking his thumbs beneath the lapels of his zoot-suit ensemble. "Yes, I'm old. So I can get away with this," he smiled deviously to Luigi. He swiftly doffed a black fedora as Luigi grinned. He couldn't help but admire the old man's sense of style. A thick crimson, velvet jacket over a saffron-colored waistcoat, dark shirt and high, gold-pinstriped pants that trailed down to reveal a pair of shiny white and black shoes.

"Looks good," Luigi nodded as the professor picked something shiny off of the couch. He always had a liking for the old 30's and 40's styles. Gadd's outfit reminded him of some hit man from an old gangster movie.

"'ere." Gadd tossed the glittering object to him. Luigi caught it awkwardly and looked at it. It was the key. He nodded solemnly and sighed as he strapped it onto the leather belt around his waist.

"I'm not pushing it, but you may want this," Kalliel said as Shivers handed him the sword of Lazarus. He looked to Luigi after a quick nod of thanks to the butler. "Better to be safe than sorry."

Luigi raised his eyebrows and nodded knowingly. He remembered the trouble he and Regent Ludwig had encountered in the dungeons of Bowser's keep. He shrugged and waited patiently as Shivers and Kalliel helped him strap it to his back. The weight of the weapon was familiar and somewhat comforting. Inside its sheath, he knew it radiated warmly with its ethereal light, waiting patiently for the day when it would once again cleave the flesh of foes both living, dead, and otherwise. "So…" He looked to the professor as he twisted his torso to get himself used to the scabbard and baldric.

"A needle pulling thread," Gadd smirked, examining his fingernails nonchalantly.

Luigi looked at him flatly, "…since you look ready to go, are you coming with us?"

"Of course! You can't expect me to let you got at this alone…as incompetent as you are," Gadd snickered. Luigi stared at him pointedly, placing his hands on his hips, though he was entirely relieved, "I summoned a dragon, didn't I?"

"Oh, ho, ho, ho," Gadd chortled. "It's so fun to ruffle your feathers." At that moment, a honk sounded from the front yard.

"Who in the world?" Luigi wondered aloud as Gadd cleared his throat, "Shivers, if you would please." The butler bowed and opened the front door as the little man stepped up to the threshold. "Alrighty, you two. Shake a leg." He grabbed a special-looking cane from the door and stepped out into the snowy yard.

"That was fast," Luigi said, grabbing a coat from the rack and throwing onto himself. Maverick appeared in front of him and burbled. "No, no Mav," He gently patted his little friend's head, "Stay here, okay?" Maverick's eyes turned downwards sadly. "You gotta keep Shivers and Pyewacket and the Hammer bros. in line." Maverick yipped happily and gave a mock salute before vanishing into thin air.

In the driveway sat a stretch limousine, emblazoned with a small Gadd industries logo near the back. "Stylish," Luigi mused as the chauffer held the door open for the professor. He beckoned politely for the other two young men. Luigi climbed in without a second thought, but noticed as Kalliel looked at the vehicle hesitantly.

"It's a car…it won't bite," Luigi said casually with a smile.

"I know…this one is just…odd, is all…"

Luigi laughed. Not spitefully, but to show that it was alright, and to cover up the fact that he was feeling a bit antsy. "Yeah, they are kind of weird."

"But yeh ride in 'em to show off," Gadd chuckled from inside. Kalliel looked at it skeptically for a split second more before climbing in.

"Impossible…" He said in awe as he sat down across from Luigi. "It can't be bigger inside than out, can it?" The chauffer shut the door firmly and after a few seconds the group of three heard the engine rev to life. As the car lurched forward on the snowy road, Gadd spoke, "I dunno…They look big…but ain't they comfy?" He asked with a chipper voice as he bounced up and down.

"Thank heavens we didn't bring the others with us, Hammer and Breaker would be playing the 'scoot-the-butt' game the entire way there," Luigi grinned.

"Something is strange to me though. Why do we need to ride in this…Leem-oh-zeene…or however you say it…why do we need to ride this if the castle is just up the road?" Kalliel queried.

"'Cause we're not going to the castle. We're going to Mushroom city, and we want to look nice…so we don't take pipes," Gadd said, removing his hat and folding his hands behind his head.

"Man, such a tough life you lead…" Luigi joked slyly, resting his chin on his hand while staring at Gadd, "Executive of your own company, social butterfly…such a rough life," he teased.

"Yeah…it's a bitch, ain't it?" Gadd sniffed with a wink.

"All joking aside, for a moment," Kalliel urged heavily, "Luigi, have you figured out what you're going to say?"

"Yeah…at least I think I've got a good idea." He rubbed his neck uncomfortably. He tried to keep the mood light, "If anything, King Windbag'll back me up, right?" He looked to the professor, who nodded. Luigi smiled at his distant relative, "Hey, if anything you should lighten up a bit. Gotta keep a clear head and positive attitude going into this…"

"…'cuz I know we probably won't have one comin' out, that's fer sure…" Gadd finished. Kalliel and Luigi shared a look as they stared at the professor with a raised eyebrow.

"Thanks, sunshine," Luigi chuckled. The group fell silent for a moment. Gadd closed his eyes and proceeded to doze off while Kalliel stared out the window at the scenery flying by. Luigi stared at his shoes for the longest time before looking up at Kalliel. "Alright…this is bugging me…Can't you just tell me where you came from at the very least?"

Kalliel smirked and crossed his arms. "This'll be the last time before we start training, I promise." He raised his hand, "Plumber's honor."

"Fine…" He sighed with a chuckle. He smiled gently before looking out the window. He remained silent for am moment, building Luigi's anticipation up to unbearable levels. "It's beautiful, you know? I never saw snow in my life before I left to begin my training in Chai."

"You trained in Chai?" Luigi asked. "The Chai on the north of Sarasaland, right?"

Kalliel looked at him curiously, "Yes…Why? Is there another Chai?" He asked sincerely.

"Oh…no, I just…uh, never mind."

"Very well. Yes, I was trained in Chai. That was where I got my first glimpse of snow…" He trailed of as he remembered his past life. "Travels to Ice land furthered my exposure of course, but, seeing this landscape go by with such speed, is a breathtaking sight." He smiled fondly, "The only time I traveled this fast was on my yoshi. I acquired my steed in Chai. A beautiful beast by the name of Kamaji. He was big, not as big as Pyewacket, of course. No…Kamaji was a true yoshi…More dinosaur than lizard…You see, Luigi…Your steed is as much to you as the sword and the Key are. When I lost Kamaji on the battlefield that day…It hurt more than the pain of any wound acquired then…" He absently placed a hand over his diaphragm. Luigi noticed this, but said nothing, sensing that there was more to what he had to say. "I'm sorry… I digress..." His gentle smile returned. "We are distant cousins, Luigi. You know this, am I correct?" Luigi nodded, then gave a flat look to the professor who had begun to snore. "As such, our family line has managed to remain in the same area for hundreds of years. Our surname has changed many times through marriage, but still we remain the same. Drago. Mario. You see my point."

Luigi nodded, thinking, "So Lazarus did come to Earth and marry."

"That is correct. He fathered children, and it is from them that we are descended. The family has moved several times throughout the ages but when I was alive and from then on and many years before, we had settled in one place. Now, through your mother you are related to me. She came from the Far East."

Luigi gave him a look that implied suspicion. "You're beating around the bush, aren't you?"

Kalliel smirked, "The Far East, Luigi. The Lands of the Burning Sands." Luigi's face froze. Desert Land…Why hadn't he seen it before? Sure, it would have been a given that his mother was from the Desert, many of the old, old faculty of the castle knew that, but as Kalliel had stated, the family had moved several times, so there would have been a chance that they had not come from the same area. The proof was evident now. The dark skin, dark hair, shape of his face and eyes. Luigi stared at him with a new recognition. His distant cousin. His mentor. "During my reign, I was known throughout the lands as one thing…"

Luigi stared at him.

"Kalliel Drago…the Dragon of the Desert."

It made sense. Many things made sense. He was beginning to see why Kalliel was holding back information about himself and his family. Luigi would learn it in time and hopefully (He prayed to all of the stars that he was right)… learn more about his parents and his destiny. Somehow…someway, he felt in his gut, that Kalliel had answers to more than he realized.


	32. Into the Frying Pan

_A/N:_ Okay, I'm not gonna give you guys some bullcrap excuse as to why this is late, all I can say is…I'm officially out of school! College starts for me in the fall! And Graduation's this Friday! That's why I've been dead. Actually, and I solemnly swear it, I'll have another chapter up within the next few days.

* * *

**Chapter 32: Into the Frying Pan**

The rest of the ride to Mushroom city was silent, as Luigi pondered over the small piece of information granted to him. He wanted to ask more questions, but kept to his word and remained silent. He was sure Kalliel would tell him more as they went. Finally, the car slowed to a halt outside of a large multi-leveled building. The chauffer got out and opened their door as Luigi and Kalliel climbed out into the bright winter sunlight. The young man paused, eyebrow arching. "Professor!" Luigi said, sticking his head back into the car. Gadd awoke with a snort.

"Aw hell, why didn'tcha wake me up earlier…?" he groaned, sliding out of the car. Luigi smirked and opened his mouth to say something, but was silenced as Gadd turned him around and ushered him towards the large doors. Numerous onlookers gawked at the multitudes of guards from every country that lined the pathway to the front doors. "Move, movemovemovemovemove," Gadd said, pushing them both through the doors.

The ominous presence of Grym was ignored as he stared silently down his nose at the crowd from the top of a nearby skyscraper…

"What is wrong, professor?" Kalliel queried once inside.

"Nothin'…it's just bloody cold out there."

Inside of the building, numerous bunches of people swarmed the lobby, ranging from press members to guards and even a few country leaders. Luigi could not get a clear glimpse due to the news reporters and journalists. Guards stood warily eyeing the swarms of people, their only thoughts being to protect their charges. Preferring to not make himself known, Luigi picked around the outside of the groups of people until he spotted a familiar face. Princess Peach waved to him daintily and beckoned him over.

She hugged him gently with a sweet smile. "Ready?" she asked. He nodded. "You get your own seat this time," She chuckled, her voice like a tinkling bell. She gave Kalliel a warm hug and bent down to give the professor a similar hug.

"D'aw, shucks, the old fart gets lovin', too," he beamed.

The princess giggled at his comment and turned back to Luigi. "Come on," she led him into the corridor which slit down two wider hallways lined with staircases that lead to the different balconies of the courtroom. She pointed down the hall to the left before taking Luigi's arm. "You're over here. Don't worry so much," she noted his concerned expression, and then waved at the familiar stooped figure of Sir Toadsworth standing near the nearest staircase.

"Ah, Master Luigi!" He greeted. "You look quite official, that's good, that's good, and Master Kalliel," he smiled behind his moustache. "You're looking quite well. As are you, professor." He beckoned for them to follow. He led them up the staircase and along the corridor above before stopping in front of a set of doors. Though there were a number of similarly-built entrances to other balconies, this one lacked a name plate and had a heavy lock on the handle. Toadsworth removed a star-imprinted key from his ornate vest and unlocked the lock. He tapped it with his cane, causing it to fall away. As he bent over to pick it up, he motioned to the door, "Please. Make yourselves comfortable, the meeting shall begin in a few minutes."

Peach gave Luigi a small kiss on the cheek, "It's okay. King Windbag and I have already talked about it. We're behind you all the way; though it will be your job to convince the others that this is truly an issue."

"I know," Luigi nodded solemnly, straightening his surcoat as best as he could. He was a bit puzzled as to how she knew so much about his position, but he realized that were he to question it, Kalliel would merely respond with something along the lines of ,'It is her duty to her country and kingdom.' Peach looked over her shoulder as she heard the voices of a few kings from the farther down the corridor. "Well, I need to get to my spot. Good luck, Luigi." He gave her a quick smile and a nod as she turned and headed back down the hallway with Toadsworth plodding beside her.

He swallowed, "May luck be a lady in a yellow dress," he murmured to himself, thinking of Daisy. He turned and pushed the wooden door open into his own balcony. His. Own. Balcony. This was big step for him, especially since he was accustomed to serving as a secondary for so long. That didn't matter now, though. From here, he could see the entire courtroom. It was a large, high-domed cylindrical room with balconies lining the walls in a semi-circular fashion facing what looked like a large judge's podium. The whole layout always reminded Luigi of an opera hall.

He took his seat in the center of three comfy-looking chairs in front of a polished rectangular table as Kalliel shut and secured the door behind them before pulling a set of heavy, red felt drapes over it. Upon the table sat a small stack of paper, a few pens, and three glasses next to a jug of water. Kalliel and the professor joined Luigi and looked around at the various peoples occupying the other platforms. He spied the King of Sarasaland, but to his silent dismay, no Daisy. He smiled to himself. He knew she wasn't the type to sit still for very long and remembered seeing her in here last year, constantly fidgeting. The thought brought a smile to his face.

As various men and women of different species and countries took their seats, the level of murmuring slowly increased, until the hall was buzzing quietly. Out of the corner of his eye, Luigi could see a few people pointing. A loud rap from the center stand silenced the buzz instantly, and all eyes focused upon Sir Toadsworth and Princess Peach, who had taken their seats.

"Ahem…Good afternoon, Lords and Ladies of the numerous kingdoms," Toadsworth proclaimed in his most official voice. "Glad to see we have everyone here and accounted for...I think, oh…yes!" He chuckled a bit before continuing. "Right then, let's get down to business." He shuffled a stack of papers before him and cleared his throat. "Right! Now, first thing's first…" His voice was lost to Luigi, who began diverting his attention to looking around at the various faces of the others in the balconies. He knew what the old man stated was important, but it wasn't anything of interest to him.

Magnus Windbag was already beside himself with boredom. He glanced casually at his secondaries; the huge, white form of Sigurd on his left, and a small, lean man on his right. The man watched Toadsworth through heavy lidded eyes beneath thick, kohl-streaked eyebrows momentarily before turning to the Ice Land king. "Tyell me somethingk…" He said quietly, a Russian accent tinting his voice. "Isn't thyet seat always empty?" He motioned with his head to the balcony across the room where Luigi sat.

Windbag turned his attention to the balcony and felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle. Keeping all emotions save amusement and curiosity hidden, he let a smirk creep onto his face. Sigurd sensed his master's anticipation and looked at him curiously, a look of confusion on his grizzly face.

"I'll be damned…" He whispered.

On the other side of the room, Luigi and Kalliel were busy exchanging notes with each other, hastily scribbled on a sheet of paper, so as not to disturb the conference. Luigi paused for a moment before writing again.

_Toadsworth seems pleased, not much to report from these guys is there?_ He wrote. Kalliel read and chuckled, responding with a short sentence: _We still have yet to stir the hornet's nest._

Luigi looked at him for a moment and shook his head, "God willing," he muttered out of the corner of his mouth. At this point, he would be relieved if he got any kind of response at all. From what he had seen already, everyone seemed to be comfortable with the current state of normalcy and any attempt to disrupt that would probably be brushed aside. He noticed Kalliel become fixated on something across the room and followed his gaze up to King Windbag's balcony where he saw the king himself sating at him. A smirk played on his lips as he brought his hand up to his chin. Luigi felt a wave of reassurance fill him as the king took his glass of water in his hand and raised it to him subtly.

"Hm," Gadd grunted, following their gazes. "My cousin…huh, didn't think he'd be interested in this sort of stuff."

Kalliel and Luigi looked to him with quirked eyebrows. "Your cousin…?" Kalliel whispered.

"Mmhmm, Professor Nikolai Asimov…werewolf hunter extraordinaire…" He glanced at Kalliel out of the corner of his eye, "oh…second cousin, by the way," he corrected.

They both nodded. Kalliel turned his gaze back to the king and the two secondaries; the great white wolf, and the small wiry man beside him. He noticed that the man eyed them with a small glint in his eye. Not a glint of hostility, but more of a bright spark of curiosity. Kalliel could see what the professor meant. Beneath the calm exterior burned in intense sense of inner strength and a sharp wit. Kalliel didn't need his telepathy to see that. Definitely a person one wouldn't want to cross blades with.

"Oh, come now…no need to look so concerned, lad," Gadd said to Kalliel with a smile. "He's quite the gentleman. Very friendly….Likes tea," he said after a pause. Luigi couldn't help but let a small chuckle slip. "Remind me to make his acquaintance later."

Windbag chuckled quietly, "Who would have thought..?"

"Is thyis the one you have been talkingk about?" Nikolai queried calmly.

"Aye, 'tis…" the king stiffened as Toadsworth's voice changed to one of a grave tone.

"Now, I truly hate to disrupt this streak of good news everyone… but do we have any news of our missing statesman?" He asked, folding his tiny hands. "This truly stands as a problem for _all_ of us…if politicians go missing, it could lead to finger pointing."

"If I may question," a tall, thin old man in long flowing white robes and matching beard spoke. Luigi stared at him. The ethereal king of the skies. The murmuring in the room ceased as the ancient man cleared his throat and said serenely, "…Though I do not mean to be so quick to judge, but have all measures been taken to determine that he is not being held captive by Bowser? Perhaps as a means to gain the hand of our fair lady? The use of hostages is not a new concept to him."

Luigi saw Ludwig stand in his balcony, "On ze contrary, jour grace, I have zoroughly searched my fazzer's castles…yielding no results." He held a paw out and motioned to Luigi, "My friend and I both vent and qvestioned him. He seemed honestly confused as to vhat ve vere speakingk of…" He looked to the others, "…I zink I know my fazzer..." he growled in the direction of the Raja of the Water lands. He may have been reptilian, but his hearing was exceptional, and he had picked up the skeptical mutterings of the king.

"Dis leads to more questions to be answered, Herr Ludwig," The Desert Sultan commented. Ludwig took his seat as the Sultan turned his gaze to Luigi. "Tell me, lad. Why is it dat you are here like dis? Is dere a new power being instigated? Dat seat's been empty for as long as we all remember, I'm sure."

Luigi stood, "Forgive me, I don't mean to cause confusion. No, there is no new country…" He paused uncomfortably, finding all eyes in the room on him. No better time than now. He saw Windbag's brow furrow across the room. "…I uh…" He glanced over at Kalliel. Inwardly he sighed. _Into the frying pan…_ "The man next to me…is my cousin. Also a ghost…" Sweat was beading on his face. "There was a group dedicated to the protection of the royal family and the elimination of darkness spawned from anger and hatred. They were almost wiped out fifteen-hundred years ago by the power they sought to destroy, but…" He nervously smiled and licked his lips, "Apparently I inherited the duties of that order…what was left of it…" He looked to each of the heads of the countries and looked back down at his reflection in the highly polished table. "I know it sounds silly…" In another balcony, he could see the Sarasaland king giving him a sympathetic and encouraging look. "Bowser doesn't have anything to do with this…A few months ago, I was asked to help the people of Isla Tortuga since my brother Mario was occupied at the time…"

"…You're Mario's brother?!" an inquisitive voice chimed from one of the balconies. King Windbag frowned, "Hush!" He barked to the interruption.

"Yes…I'm Luigi Mario. The younger Mario brother…" He rolled his eyes discretely, "…the green guy…" There were a few mutterings of recognition after that statement. "I know many of you aren't familiar with me, so I apologize for my ramblings…but, during my time on the island, I was hunted by three monsters saying that they owed their allegiance to Kamek."

"Kamek?!" Several voices hissed at once. All of them laden with disbelief and skepticism.

"…Listen, I know it sounds odd…Those beasts were the ones who have been causing the problems. Regent Ludwig and I were indeed at Bowser's castle…and we were ambushed in the dungeons. They are the ones who have the hostage. Kamek's the drive behind it…all of it…"

The hall was instantly filled with murmuring. Murmuring which quickly turned to bickering.

Gadd shook his head… "They sound like a bunch of chickens…"

Toadsworth banged his gavel on the podium. "Order! Order!" The noise quieted slightly. Somewhere above him, a boisterous, womanly voice sounded. "Young man, this is the Queen Bean speaking. I do not doubt your words, for I know that you and your brother have done a great service to our kingdom in the past, but do you honestly know how many koopas are out there named Kamek?" Her voice came from above him, which probably meant that her balcony was directly above theirs.

"Indeed I do, madam. It's difficult to explain…but please. To all members of this court, I implore you, please believe me. We could all be in danger!"

"If we are in true danger as you say we are, den what is de nature of de beast dat we are faced with?" the sultan demanded.

Kalliel stood and placed a hand on Luigi's shoulder, "allow me," he muttered. "Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, Kamek is a being once banished by the stars to an eternity in a prison of darkness. When he was freed by mistake, the stars themselves realized that he existed to destroy all life by consuming them in darkness and hatred. Where is light, there is shadow. Where there is hope, there is despair. Kamek is that shadow and despair."

"Surely he could have picked a better name for himself dan 'Kamek,'" The Raja said, his heavily-accented Indian (As close as Luigi could coin it) voice chopping his speech a bit.

"His name is unpronounceable in the tongues of man," Kalliel said gravely, retaining his calm.

"And how would you come across this knowledge, my boy?" The Sky Elder asked serenely.

"I am not of this world any longer…"

"What of these creatures? Why do they wreak havoc on our people?" the Sultan questioned.

"They're after me!" Luigi said. The hall fell silent.

"Den tell us why you're _here_!" The Sultan demanded.

Kalliel's voice took on a harsher tone, and his eyes narrowed. "Because I was the last of knights chosen to destroy Kamek…and _he_ is my successor…"

"What proof do you have?" The Sultan demanded angrily.

_They're not believing me…_Luigi frantically thought. He was met with silence. Kalliel still did not have any of his abilities back yet.

The chief of the grasslands stood, and nodded his head in respect at Luigi, "Forgive me, but even though I have tried to stay out of this affair, I must agree…please show us proof. We cannot base our understandings off of children's bed-time stories." He always had a respect for Luigi and was trying his best to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Luigi stood and grasped the hilt of the sword on his back, and with difficulty, pulled the heavy sword out of its scabbard. He held it aloft as Kalliel took his seat. "You want proof?!" Luigi strained in an effort to keep the sword aloft in his extended arms. "This…"

All talk in the room was silenced as the blade shone. A few gasps sounded as the lights in the room dimmed on their own in response to the sword's power. The sultan along with the others stared at Luigi expectantly as he pulled the sword back in. It accidentally hit the rail with a thunk as Luigi's arms gave out slightly from the weight of the weapon. Gadd slapped his hand to his face and shook his head as Luigi uttered a quiet 'oops…' upon seeing a chunk missing from the woodwork. There was the sound of single hushed whispers as a handful of individuals stood and touched their foreheads. Among them, King Windbag, Sigurd, the Desert Sultan's right-hand secondary, and a few others.

"I don't see…" someone started.

"This was the sword given to us by the stars in ages past…" Kalliel said calmly.

"I'm not asking for much…just believe me…" Luigi pleaded.

The heads of the Shyguy Republic babbled incoherently amongst themselves as the large-bellied, crowned toad who reigned over the far off Giant Islands cleared his throat. "I have had enough of this," he growled impatiently, his mushroom-capped head bobbing angrily. "…you would have our armies…is this what you are implying? Bah! I say this boy speaks of Lies…a take-over conspiracy, perhaps?!" he spat. The King of Sarasaland shot a fierce glare in his direction.

"I say we hear him out, let the boy finish."

"It is no secret that your daughter favors him…" the Giant-land king huffed.

"That's uncalled for," Gadd said sternly.

"It's _not_ professional to bring personal matters into this," Luigi said, his face growing hot with anger. Gadd, kept seated and muttered quietly. "Let it go, Luigi…"

"…You speak of Legends…you show us a sword…it may have been true in the past, young man. But this is here and now…what you speak of holds no ground whatsoever…" the giant king snorted.

"Do you have something against the concept of _listening_?" Windbag growled. "I know this kid…He's not one to do it for glory, or fame…He's like his brother… He just wants to help…I don't think it's too much to ask if you'd just _shut your gob!_" He barked.

"_You_ have caused enough trouble as it is! Putting all of the kingdoms on edge because of your bluff for war with Darkland over undecided premises. You ask for us to listen, yet it is you yourself who is the bull-headed one."

"You wanna take this outside?!" Windbag snarled, "I'd be happy to oblige," he said venomously. Nikolai, though impatient from the Giant king's lack of respect for anyone, calmly muttered to his friend, "Calm yoorself…"

"People, please, control yourselves!" Toadsworth cried as Windbag and the Giant king stood and whipped out their wands, pointing them at each other from their respective balconies. The Emperor of Chai exclaimed something in his native Chainese as the Giant king called out a few more insults. "Pig-headed Barbarian!"

"Læsa!" Windbag bellowed, a ball of ice firing out of the end of his crystalline wand as the Giant king fired a fire ball from the end of his.

"Luigi!" Gadd exclaimed as the young man, in reflex fired a thunderbolt from his palm. It hit both projectiles before they could ricochet off of each other and injure someone. His actions were met with gasps of awe and scattered applause. "Stop! Both of you! It's stupid to open up war between you two."

"Believe me, lad. It would be a one-on-one," The Giant king grimaced. "Barbaric hypocrite that he is…" Windbag's face was turning a lovely shade of crimson as Sigurd cautiously placed his huge paws on the king's shoulder's to try and get him to sit back down. Nikolai and Gadd both narrowed their eyes at the heavy-set toad.

Luigi sat down, growled to himself, and placed his head in his hands as Kalliel shook his head. The ethereal Elder of Skyland calmly looked to him, his balcony being just above and one space over from theirs. "Take not this issue personally, young one. They have been looking for a fight with each other for years."

Luigi looked up at him and bowed his head in a respectful nod. Something about the aura of the ancient man calmed him and put him at peace. Many of the other country leaders who had not spoken at all since the beginning began trying to calm the two angry kings while others angrily berated them both for their actions. The Sultan hollered over all of them, "Even that was hitting below de belt! You're de immature one," He said angrily to the Giant King, "Resorting to childish name-calling is below ones of our status!!"

Toadsworth slammed his gavel down a few times, "Order, order I say! ORDER!!" The room quieted slowly as he furrowed his bushy white brows, "I will not have this courtroom fall into chaos. Thank you, Luigi for your interference...now, may we continue?!" He mopped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief. "Ahem…our princess has some last words to say before we depart. I think we all feel it's high time we break…any longer and I feel we shall all be at each other's throats."

Peach stood and curtseyed to the court. "I apologize for any confusion, but everything Luigi said is indeed true. You are all welcome to use our castle library to further investigate if you have any other questions." She nodded and closed her blue eyes before saying solemnly. "As much as I hate to keep things from our subjects, I think it's in the best interest of everyone if we keep this under wraps for now. This is not to be broadcasted nor discussed. It's not an emergency," She looked to Luigi who shook his head to confirm her statement. "Also…No more bickering, please. This is supposed to be a festive time." She picked up Toadsworth's gavel. "I hereby declare this meeting over," She brought it down sharply and nodded with a smile. "Hope to see everyone tonight at the castle…please try to relax…" With that, she turned and left the podium with Toadsworth at her heels.

As a few of the leaders turned to leave, they cast Luigi sour looks. He sighed and shook his head, placing a hand to his temple. "I think I'm in trouble…"

"Why? Cuz you made a valid report? What're they gonna do, spank you?" Gadd asked, doffing his hat. "Please…" He scoffed as he slid out of his chair. Kalliel and Luigi chuckled. They too, stood and gathered their things.

"Well I think I made a jolly good mess of things, don't you think?" Luigi joked to Kalliel in an attempt to liven the mood.

"Yes, quite…It was always my favorite part of the job," Kalliel said with a wink.

"Yeah and you also had better control over your position and abilities," Luigi said flatly as he drew back the curtains.

"Luigi! Wait up, kiddo!" Called King Windbag as he left his balcony. Gadd opened the door and ushered them out.

Windbag and the others met them at the corridor junction a few moments later. "Well done, buddy!" He scooped him up and nuggied him again.

"Ow…ow, ow…enough with the nuggies!"

Sigurd chuckled a deep, raspy growl. Nikolai nodded to the professor, "Elvin. Goodt to see you again," He smiled and held out his hand. Gadd returned the handshake. "Yer lookin' good."

"As are you. Ah," He said, turning to the green-surcoated man. "You must be Luigi…" He offered his hand. Luigi took it and shook it warmly, "Professor…Asimov, did I say that right?"

"Yes, but please…Call me Nikolai."

"Ah," he nodded. "I've heard quite a bit about you," He said as Nikolai greeted Kalliel. He smiled, a sparkle in his dark eyes, "And I about you."

Luigi chuckled and turned back to his old friend. "Windbag, I don't think pissing off the King of the Giant Islands is what I call 'successful.'"

"What're you worried about? That blowhard can't do anything to you." He shook his head at Luigi's skeptical expression. "He gets pissy whenever anyone has bad news. You've been in there with us, the past several years; it's been the same old thing. This is the first bit of 'bad' news we've had in a while, it's probably good for him."

"I don't want to cause a problem…gathering enemies faster than gathering friends is going in the opposite direction that I want to go."

"Wanna make an omelet? Bash a few eggs…" Windbag shrugged. "He just gets grumpy because it cuts into his relaxation time and blah, blah, blah…thinks it ruins his festive mood."

"Not to be vone to judge, but he's so full of himself…" Ludwig said approaching them from behind. He extended a paw, "Not badt for striking out on jour own for ze first time…zat little firevorks show certainly added zat missing spice to it, as vell."

Windbag grimaced humbly, "Yeah…I…lose my cool pretty easily…"

"Work on thyat…" Nikolai said with a smirk and a sidelong glance.

"Luvigi…are joo, coming to ze ball tonight, ja?" Ludwig asked quietly.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world…why?"

Ludwig smiled. "Zere…is somevone I vant you to meet."

Luigi nodded as Windbag nudged him in the ribs. "…And I know a certain someone that needs to see his little girlfriend, huh?"

Luigi felt a blush creep up his cheeks. "Sh-She's here?"

"Well…not _here_ in the building, but in the kingdom, yes."

"Right…well, I wanna go get ready…so now that we've had this happy little family reunion, let's mosey, shall we?" Gadd said impatiently. Everyone followed as he left and headed for the stairs.

"Luigi, hold up. I want to talk to you about something…" Windbag said as he removed the golden circlet from his head and prodded his forehead. The soft light sprang up beneath his fingertip, leaving Luigi with a growing grin on his face.

"So you…huh…nice…" He beamed. This was even better than he thought. "You're…"

"A full-blown disciple, yes. Now…I hate to tear you away from your friends, but if you ever get the urge to do some real hands-on training, then I would suggest you make a little trip up to Ice land. You'll find _quite_ the fan base there."

"Of course…you don't know how relieved I am. I had an ally in you, I knew…but this is the best news I've had all day." Windbag nodded and clapped him heartily on the back. "Same here, kid. You can imagine my surprise to see my little buddy as the head knight, huh…?"

"Yeah, I guess so…" Luigi laughed.

"Hey, ladies, come on!" Gadd called from the lower floor. He was met with a retort from the Viking king, "Watch who you're speaking to!" He chuckled and bowed, "After you, _my lord_…" he chided.

"Uh-uh, you and I are still on a buddy-basis…" Luigi said walking past him.

"Good! 'Cause I sure as hell wasn't about to call you 'your majesty' for the rest of my life."

Luigi stopped, "Well, now that you mention it," he stated sarcastically.

"Don't go there, lad," Windbag warned with a devilish smirk. They both hurried down the stairs to the rest of the waiting group and exited into the cold air where their rides were parked.

The shady, unnoticed figure…had vanished from its perch.


	33. The Winter Ball

Later that evening, Luigi was busy checking himself in the mirror as he adjusted his black dress jacket

**Chapter 33: The Winter Ball**

Later that evening, Luigi was busy checking himself in the mirror as he adjusted his black dress jacket. Maverick giggled as he zoomed around Breaker. Hammer and Marius strained to keep their younger brother still as they straightened his jacket and tie.

"Aww, I don't wanna wear this…it's stupid…it's a party, right? Can't we wear party clothes?!" he grumbled as Maverick held him steady.

"Yes it's a party…but no, you can't wear 'party' clothes," Marius said sternly, tying the struggling hammer bro's tie. Kalliel sat downing another cup of tea, watching in amusement as Breaker struggled in vain against the other three. He refilled his cup from the teapot on the table next to him and sat back, slouching a bit. They had returned to the manor to unwind after the council, taking the time to relax a bit. Kalliel took advantage of this time and sat reclining on the couch, his jacket draped over the back of a nearby chair, his tie undone around his neck, and the top two buttons of his shirt undone.

Luigi sat down in the green corduroy recliner next to the couch and yawned. Kalliel nodded his approval. "Very nice," he said. Luigi smiled at his compliment. "Thanks," he said.

Outside, the last of the day's cold light was receding as the sun dipped below the horizon. The ball would be starting soon. Luigi couldn't help but smile at the thought of the central plaza done up in white. It was so beautiful, and every year, it seemed lovelier than the last. Hopefully if tonight went well, he'd have his chance…

There came a snort from in front of the fire, where Pyewacket was soundly sleeping. His leg twitched slightly as he snored. Maverick fluttered down and snuggled against the dino's large neck and purred contentedly. Within a few minutes, he was snoring away. Luigi sat for several minutes as Marius sat down on the ottoman and watched as Hammer and Breaker tried to 'straighten' each other's ties.

"I hate to wake them up…" Luigi said sympathetically as the Professor entered the room, dusting off his hat in the process.

"Well, we don't wanna wait too late…the party'll be over by the time we get there if we just let 'em sleep," Gadd smiled. "Go ahead, sonny."

Luigi knelt beside Pyewacket and patted his mane gently. "Come on, you two, time to go!"

Pyewacket stifled a huge yawn as Maverick opened his rosy eyes. He grumbled flatly as Luigi scooped him up in his arms. "I know, I know. You just fell asleep, but we gotta go." He gently patted his friend's head. "You get to see Daisy again."

Maverick beamed and warbled happily. He liked Luigi's lady friend. He had pegged her as his 'mama' the night she and Luigi had rescued him. The light from the fire glinted off of the eyepieces on his pair of goggles as he flashed a grin, completely awake. Kalliel sighed as he buttoned the two buttons on his shirt and did his tie again. "Ah, there we go…" he smiled as he succeeded in tying it correctly. Luigi looked down at the boo in his arms and paused for a moment as Gadd doffed his hat again.

"You guys…don't wait on me. Go ahead, I'll catch up later." Maverick looked up at Luigi curiously. Gadd quirked an eyebrow, "Eh?"

"I have a few more things I need to get before I go, I'll meet you guys there," Luigi said with a nod.

"Yay, Party!" Breaker shouted as he and Hammer took to the front yard. Marius and Kalliel eyed each other curiously. "You sure?" Marius asked.

Luigi nodded, "Yeah."

Kalliel chuckled and adjusted his tie again, "As you wish." He gave a knowing look to Luigi and smirked a bit.

"Suit yourself," Gadd said with a shrug before exiting. Marius waved goodbye before following the two humans. Luigi waited until he heard the front door close with a click before looking down at the boo in his arms. "Hey…I'm gonna show you something." Maverick curiously floated up to eye level and looked at his buddy. Luigi held a finger to his lips, "You can't tell anyone, okay? It's a surprise."

Maverick gently patted his mouth while making a small raspberry noise, signaling his cooperation.

"Good." He looked around to make sure no one was around before heading downstairs to the spare room with the sheet-covered shelves and wardrobes. Not bothering to switch on the light, he groped around in the darkness until he found the small game boy horror on one of the empty shelves and held it up. He flicked it on, staring at the screen, which showed the room in night-vision green. Pointing it at the mouse hole in the corner, he felt himself be pulled by a strong force. After a brief moment of disorientation, he found himself kneeling in a sparkling, dimly-lit room. Maverick slowly appeared through the wall and whistled lowly at the contents of the glittering room. Luigi cautiously flicked on the light switch, causing the room to sparkle even more intensely.

Walking over to a random chest, he opened it and sorted through a pile of colored gems before pulling out a tiny treasure chest. He opened it and removed a small black-velvet box. Replacing the smaller chest inside the larger one, he shut both and turned to Maverick. "Do you know what this is?" He asked, showing him the tiny black box. Maverick warbled a no and shook his head.

Luigi smiled slightly, his heart rate speeding a bit as he opened it. Inside, the light danced over a ring, inlaid with diamonds, topazes, and darker-orange amber in the shape of a water lily. The bejeweled blossom was set in a polished white-gold band that reflected Luigi and Maverick better than any mirror. It wasn't overly huge or gaudy, but it was simply breathtaking to behold. The tiny white, yellow and orange lights reflected in Maverick's large eyes as he stared at it. "I had it made special for her…"

Maverick stared, his eyes flitting from the ring to Luigi as the realization of his intentions dawned on him. He burbled excitedly. Though Luigi could not understand any spoken words, he understood by the boo's facial expressions and tone of voice. He nodded when Maverick finished. "Yes…Tonight, I'll ask Daisy…to m-…" He took a deep breath, "…Marry me."

Maverick's little ghostly tail wagged excitedly as he squeaked loudly, happy for Luigi beyond comprehension. He flew forward and licked him on the nose as he pocketed the velvet box. Wiping the saliva from his nose, he spoke quietly with a grin, "…but you gotta keep it secret," he winked. Maverick covered his mouth with he arms and copied Luigi's wink.

"Good boy," he said, patting him on the head again. "I knew you wouldn't tell anyone."

Maverick beamed.

"Well, let's go get Pyewacket and go. We're late enough already."

Maverick barked loudly as he flew through the wall. Luigi emerged in a puff of dimly lit smoke into the darkened room several seconds later. He clucked his tongue as he brushed the dust off of his jacket. He replaced the gameboy horror on its dusty shelf and left the room, closing the door with a tiny 'snick'. Before heading up the stairs, he stopped in front of Madame Clairvoya's room. Maverick peeped lowly as Luigi looked at him. Cracking the door ever so slightly, Luigi peered into the dark room. "Madame…?" Opening it wider, he cleared his throat and called again, "Madame?" No answer. Looking back at Maverick, he shrugged. Perhaps she was asleep. After her tirade earlier, he wouldn't doubt that was where she was.

He closed the door and hurried up the stairs. Pyewacket had fallen asleep once again and was lying in the same spot as they had left him. He awoke with a snort when he heard Luigi's footsteps and hopped up onto his long, powerful legs. Luigi reached up and patted him on the nose. "Ready?"

"Uhuh!" He said happily, his head bobbing up and down excitedly. Luigi turned to the fire and placed a hand on the side of his mouth before blowing sharply. The fire in the fireplace extinguished itself. As Pyewacket and Maverick bounded out through the door into the snowy yard, Luigi slipped a pair of white gloves on and strapped the Key to his side. Around his waist sat a green sash, which he adjusted as he approached Pyewacket. "Come on, you two," he smiled as he strode past them, the tails of his jacket trailing behind him in the light breeze that stirred.

"Weegee…" Pyewacket said. Luigi paused and turned. Pyewacket motioned to his back as he knelt a bit.

"Oh!" Luigi said. He smiled and nodded.

* * *

Luigi relished the feeling of riding as Pyewacket comfortably trotted down the path. His gait had gotten much smoother in the passing weeks and since he was bigger, his stride much longer. It was only a matter of minutes before they reached the cobblestone walk that snaked its way into town through the remainder of the forest.

Pyewacket's eyes widened, "Aaahhhh…" he gaped in amazement. Lining the cobblestone path were lights of white and blue, with streamers of silvery white hanging from the few lamp posts that cast their soft yellow light upon the snow-covered ground. "Mamma mia…" Luigi breathed. Ice crystals hung from the trees, reflecting and refracting the white and blue lights. In the distance, the sound of music and laughter met the group's ears.

He gently nudged Pyewacket on, gasping as the plaza of Toad town and the road leading up to the castle came into view. The castle itself sat glittering like a giant jewel near the river; the town, a sea of people laughing, dancing, and playing. Long tables laden with food lined the streets. All of the shops and houses were done up with colored lights and decorations of white, silver and blue. Pyewacket slowed to a walk as the crowds parted to let them pass. Luigi was greeted with a multitude of smiling faces and cheers as he wandered through on Pyewacket's back. They all enjoyed the stroll up to the expansive castle grounds. Luigi kept his eyes open for Gadd, Kalliel, and the Hammer Bros. He smiled upon the sight of children pelting each other with snowballs and laughing. Pyewacket halted and paused to allow Luigi to slide off of his back.

"Hi hi hi hi hi!!" Came the cried of two familiar faces. Breaker and Hammer both threw themselves on him. "Hey, c'mon!! Everyone's inside!" Hammer called, seizing his wrist and trying to drag him towards the castle.

"Yeah!" Breaker chimed, "Your girlfriend's in there!!"

"W-wha…?!" Luigi exclaimed, feeling the butterflies enter his stomach. Breaker and Hammer turned to jog up to the castle.

"Yeah! Come on! Everyone's waiting on you!"

Luigi slid his hands into his pockets and chuckled, casting a glance to Kalliel. "Yeah…" he said with a wincing grin. "…Probably to strangle me."

Kalliel smiled and shook his head as snow began to lightly fall. "Do not worry, I'm sure your friend King Windbag will fight them off if they try."

The two guards at the front doors pushed them open as the group approached. Luigi's eyes widened as the heavy wooden doors of Castle Toadstool creaked open, spilling warm light onto the grounds. The marble hall was lined with evergreen trees, and strung with various ornaments of silver and crystal hues. Lengths of silvery-white cloth, like the ones that lined the wooded path fluttered slightly in the chilly breeze.

The professor nudged Kalliel with his elbow, "…and you said the décor outside was Purdy."

Kalliel turned as he followed Luigi into the hallway, gaping at the splendor. "So I did…so I did," He grinned.

"Wow…" Luigi whispered. Half of the entire town seemed to be in here, not to mention the various people of each country. Off to one side, he caught a glimpse of several kilt-clad Sut-Ulfr dancing a sort of jig while a few others sat off to the side playing instruments Luigi identified as a Bohdran, a set of Bagpipes, and a few normal acoustic guitars.

* * *

King Windbag had shed his heavy fur cape in favor of his black dress attire. It certainly made for easier movement. He clapped along with his Ulfr subjects to the upbeat jig before spotting something very familiar to him that sent a cold chill down his back. "Excuse me," he said, gently pushing past Sigurd and a few gray Ulfr clothed in various tartans.

That black Napoleonic jacket and slicked hair looked extremely familiar. A feeling grew in the pit of his stomach as he pushed through the crowd. As he neared the young man, he called out, "Apol-…" the cry caught in his throat as the young man turned around revealing himself as Luigi. Windbag inwardly winced. He could have sworn that was…

He sighed almost unnoticeably, "…you're getting senile, you old fool…" he grimaced to himself. Nonetheless, he was happy to see the young man. "Luigi!!" He called jovially, his disappointment forgotten.

Luigi turned with a grin at his old friend, "No nuggies, please!" He joked with a laugh.

The Viking king rolled his eyes, "Relax, will ya'?" He eyed him and nodded, "I'm not one to mess someone up as sharply dressed as you."

"Profezzor Gadd?" Came a deep voice from behind the tiny old man.

Gadd turned and stared up at Ludwig, "Hey there, sonny." He reached up and shook the great paw held out to him.

"Qvite a turnouht, ja?" He said, motioning to the crowd.

"Yeah…quite the little soirée we got goin' on here…Quite the show today in court, too…"

"Ja, ja…und zis isn't even ze main ballroom…" He smirked.

"Damn…" Gadd mused.

"You've never been to ze Vinter Festival?" Ludwig wondered, his busy eyebrows raising in surprise.

"'Fraid not…I always had something pop up…work to be done. The only reason I'm here now is because Luigi said I needed to take a break. So," he shrugged and stretched, "here I am."

At that moment, a koopa wandered up and tugged on Ludwig's cape. He bent down to allow the koopa to whisper something in his ear. He straightened. "Excuse me, Profezzor…I'll be right back…"

"S'no problem," Gadd said, watching as Luigi and Windbag stood exchanging pleasantries along with several of the tall Lupine warriors of the Northlands. A female voice sounded behind him.

"Excuse me, sir… But are you Elvin Gadd of Gadd Corporations?"

"Yes ma'am, what is it?" He said politely, tipping his hat respectfully

He turned to face a tall female koopa of the same type as Ludwig. She gently tucked a long strand of her blonde hair out of her face and cleared her throat, "Yes, it seems I have a bit of a problem regarding an order I placed some time ago."

"Ah, I see…" he nodded. "How may I help you?"

"Oh, how rude of me. I apologize. My name is Novia Faircot…I placed an order some time ago for a paintbrush of sorts…" She said.

Gadd immediately felt the bottom of his stomach drop.

"You see, sir…I never received my order…"

Gadd cleared his throat nervously and tugged at his collar, realizing the situation. He nodded and swallowed. "Yes…I see…There_ has_ been a mistake…"

* * *

Luigi had just been introduced to Windbag's top General. An enormous Ulfr by the name of Raoul MacPherson. He stood nearly as tall as Sigurd, with charcoal-gray fur and sparkling golden eyes. He explained to Luigi through a heavy Scottish accent that he was from the Highlands of the Ice world. The more he and MacPherson conversed, the more Luigi noticed that Ice Land was split into different cultures within its own borders. In the north, where Windbag's Icy throne sat, the culture, from what Luigi had leaned in his schooling at a young age, was comparable to the old Viking ages of Iceland and Norway, while to the south, the culture and climate was similar to Scotland. On top of these, there were smaller patches that held small cultural differences of their own.

MacPherson was truly a Highland Ulfr, and graciously explained the difference between the members of his clans and the Sut-Ulfr or the far north. Clad in an ornate, armored leather vest, shirt, and kilt, his arms lay exposed to show off his heavy muscles. A dark blue beret sat upon his great head, with two pheasant feathers sticking up, pinned by a silver badge. He was cunning and sharp, quick with his wit and never shy of a joke. He nodded off towards the ballroom. "As much as ah'd like tae stay an' talk wi' ye, I'd best be head'n off. The boys an' me've go' a show tae do. Though, Ah will sae this," he chuckled warmly as he clapped Luigi heavily on the back. "Ye've go' powerful allies wi' us, lad. 'Ol Windbag'n I'll back ye up, nary a word said against it. Know this." He gave one last wink before whistling to the other dark-furred, kilt-clad Ulfr.

"Now, now, hold up, you lot," Windbag said, holding MacPherson and the other clansmen back. "Don't go in there and crash the party just yet. I still haven't gotten to dance."

Luigi chuckled as they rebounded joking remarks off of each other. He froze as he remembered that he still hadn't seen Daisy yet. He bowed gently to the group. "Please excuse me, gentlemen. I have someone I need to find."

MacPherson shook his hand one final time before nodding, "Aye. T'was a pleasure meetin' ye, lad."

At that, Luigi left through the crowd, making his way to the ballroom. Upon entering the grand hall, Luigi spied many couples twirling about, many of them familiar faces. He spied Mario and Peach, Toad and Toadette (amongst various other toad couples), and to his surprise, Lady Lima and Toadsworth. Several others he spied were Wario, who was paired with a spunky girl clad in a red dress and feather boa, and Waluigi, dancing with some unnamed woman, though who would want to dance with him seemed to be out of comprehension for anyone, though the gangly man seemed to be getting more fun out of running into other people than anything.

He finally spied Daisy standing at the back with several other members of Mushroom Kingdom gentry, the most noticeable of which was…Prince Peasley?! Luigi felt a sense of adoration and anger as he saw his idol approach his girlfriend.

"My dear, what is an exquisite beauty such as yourself doing alone? Why, an exotic flower such as yourself should be out on the dance floor," He said suavely as he kissed her hand. Daisy looked away bashfully, "Please, your majesty, I-"

"Princess, would you do me the honor of accompanying me on the dance floor?" He asked, planting another kiss to her hand. His red coat flapped elegantly around his white suit as Luigi approached.

"I'm afraid she's already taken," he said, looking to her. Daisy's face suddenly became one of intense joy and surprise. "Luigi!!" She exclaimed, wrapping her arms around him and sealing his mouth with a kiss. As they broke away, she turned and nodded to Peasley, "I'm sorry, your majesty. I'm afraid I am already spoken for," she said as Luigi gently took her arm.

"Luigi?...Luigi!" He laughed, "I almost didn't recognize you." He spied the dagger on his belt. "I see you have grown more confident of late," he grinned as he flipped his hair. Everyone around them shielded their eyes from the resulting glare from his brilliance. Luigi looked at Daisy, "I hate to be rude, your Excellency, but I'd like to dance with this fair lady, if you would please excuse us." With that, he offered his arm to Daisy, who took it all too gratefully, entered the dance floor.

Trying to keep away from Waluigi's 'war-dance,' they assumed their dancing position and began waltzing in time to the string ensemble that played in the corner of the room.

With her arm on his shoulder and her other hand in his, they spun and twirled, all of that dancing practice he had given her revealing the fruits of its labor. "Thank you _so_ much for getting me away from that guy…He's been hitting on me all freakin' night," She whispered into his ear, her yellow dress rippling as they continued to dance.

Luigi felt his face grow hot out of jealousy. He didn't want to challenge him to a duel though; he knew the Prince of the Beanbean kingdom was far more than adequate with a blade.

"Sorry, hon…I didn't want to start the evening out this way." She kissed him again, which surprised him. "I missed you so much…" she muttered, leaning her head on his chest.

"Me too," he whispered, resting his cheek on her head. The soft smell of her perfume wafted up. They both had so much they wanted to say to each other, but decided to remain silent, feeling more at ease with everything than ever. If Luigi had it his way, the dance would never end, and they would stay like this forever. He felt that nervous feeling again. When, where, and how would he get the chance to propose? A sudden question from Daisy interrupted his thoughts. "Hey…isn't that Ludwig?"

Luigi looked up, sure enough; the regent was elegantly dancing with a female koopa of surprising beauty. Her shell was of a deep plum color, with long, blonde hair tied back in a bun. Her face was round, but far more petite and feminine than Ludwig's and her eyes were of the brightest blue Luigi had ever seen.

"It's weird, y'know? I've been seeing everybody with new people lately," Daisy mused, looking up at Luigi.

"Yeah…though I wonder who that Lady Koopa is…I don't believe I've ever seen her before…"

Daisy smirked at him. Luigi raised an eyebrow, "I don't like that look," he chided.

"Let's go pester them," she grinned evilly. The song ended along with the dance; the timing couldn't have been more perfect. Amidst the applause of the crowd inside the ballroom, the string ensemble started their next piece as Luigi and Daisy hurried out of everyone's way. While dodging the other dancers, Luigi caught sight of Gadd and Professor Asimov off to the side conversing in hushed tones, Gadd often times rubbing his temples or his forehead. He looked somewhat stressed.

"Ludwig!!" Daisy called, waving. Ludwig saw them and motioned for his lady friend to leave the floor. The two approached them.

"Goodt evening, Princess," he said, "Luigi." He nodded. "I have somevone here I vish for you to meet…" He gingerly took his friend's hand. "Ms. Novia Faircot…" He said as Luigi and Daisy bowed and curtseyed respectfully. "…She's my…fiancée." Ludwig added sheepishly; Luigi could have sworn he saw the reptile blush.

"You lucky dog, you," Luigi joked as Ludwig beamed, his fang flashing in the warm light of the ballroom.

"Zank you," he said deeply. Novia smiled, "A pleasure to meet you both," she smiled sweetly. "Ludwig's told me so much about you."

"Ja…Fazzer has already given us his blessing…" He grinned as she nuzzled him.

"Congrats to both of you!" Daisy said, hugging Novia.

"Of course, you two are invited to the wedding, Ludwig and I would be ever so happy should you choose to attend."

"We'll definitely be there, right Luigi?" Daisy asked, taking his arm.

"Of course, wouldn't miss it for the world," he smiled. All at once the music stopped and the dancers cleared the floor. "What's all this?" Luigi wondered. Snippets of Peasely's voice could be heard over the excited crowd.

"He's making a scene, isn't he?" Daisy scoffed, raising an eyebrow.

"Is there no one out there up to the challenge? Surely there must be some valiant soul who fancy's a bit of sport!" He said valiantly, whipping out his rapier. "I think it's high time we add some excitement to this party!"

"I challenge!" Came a voice from the crowd. Luigi and Daisy both strained to see over the heads of the people to see who the voice belonged to.

"Luigi, is that not chour cousin?" Nikolai calmly asked from behind him.

"Wha…?" Luigi said. He spied Kalliel taking the stage opposite of the Beanbean prince. "…Oh no…"

"What'choo worried about? This looks like it'll be a good fight, come on up here, sonny, you can see better," Gadd said with a grin, motioning to the broad windowsill where he sat. Luigi hopped up and helped Daisy up before taking his seat. "It's not Kalliel I'm worried about, it's Peasley!"

Kalliel removed his jacket and handed it to toad as he was given a standard rapier. He rolled the sleeves of his sapphire-blue shirt up and adjusted the dark gray vest so it wouldn't shift and turned. "Three rounds, your majesty."

"Indeed," Peasley flung his cape away from him relishing the squeals of delight from several of the toad girls as they fought for who would hold it for him. Seemingly out of nowhere, he pulled a single yellow rose from his belt and inhaled its scent gently. "The kiss of the rose is as sweet as the kiss…of lady luck herself," he smiled, looking at Daisy. Luigi fought down a burning urge to zap him with a thunderbolt. He was so torn between doing so and cheering for him. How he admired that prince for his daring chivalry and charm.

The two contestants bowed and took their stances on the stage. "May the best man win," Kalliel said with a bow of his head.

"I intend to, good sir. Pray tell me before we begin…I wish to know the name of my contestant, you bravery is commendable," the prince said smugly.

Kalliel bowed once more, "My name, your majesty…is Kalliel Drago…remember it…" the last sentence was said levelly, a hint of warning in his words. "Master Toadsworth, will you be the judge?"

"Yes, of course, Master Kalliel." He turned to the audience, "Three rounds are to be played. The rules are Epee; all parts of the body are target zones. Right gentlemen? En Guarde!!"

The tips of both swords tinged off of each other several times before Peasley took a wide sweep, being met with equal speed with a hefty _CLANG!!_ Kalliel parried and thrust forward before bringing his sword up, nicking the skin of Peasley's right hand.

"Agh!" The green-skinned prince hissed as they took their positions again. He wiped the tiny amount of blood away before reassuming his stance. He hadn't counted on such quick actions and reflexes. No matter, he smirked as Kalliel took the offensive as Toadsworth cried "En Guarde!" Several minutes passed as they both exchanged parries and thrusts before finally Peasley feigned, was blocked, and countered, slightly slicing a small cut in Kalliel's cheek. This aroused a groan from the crowd.

The man didn't bother wiping the tine trickle of blood away. The next round went by quickly, with Kalliel using a sort of flourish before catching the prince off guard on the shoulder.

"He's panickingk…" Nikolai smirked. "He knows he's losing…just watch," he said as Gadd watched him curiously.

Peasley fought to remain calm as they took their stance for the round. He was down by one, but something about Kalliel struck him as odd. The man didn't flinch when he struck him on the cheek, nor had he blinked that entire round. This was a man who clearly beheld great skill with a blade. This wasn't the time to think negatively. He was the great Prince Peasley, greatest swordsman in the entire Beanbean kingdom. Toadsworth gave the "En Guarde!" and the two went at it again.

Windbag watched curiously as General MacPherson appeared behind him to watch as well. Something else caught his eye. "Aye King," he muttered into the human's ear. "…Who is tha' talkin' to Toadsworth?"

Windbag looked to where his officer was mentioning. A dark-furred Ulfr was talking with the elderly toad and by the look on his muzzle; it seemed to be of great urgency. He held in his paw a few papers.

"I don't know…he's not one of ours is he? He doesn't look familiar…"

MacPherson sighed, a bear-like growl out of his cavernous chest.

Windbag sensed his tension, "Just keep an eye on him," he whispered. The crowd erupted into cheers as Kalliel jabbed, twirled his blade, and deftly disarmed the prince before pointing the blade at his throat. Peasley sunk to his knees, staring up the blade at Kalliel's face.

He muttered, barely audible, "You are the one of legend…The Dragon…"

Kalliel smiled before withdrawing the blade and offering his hand. Peasley reluctantly took it and shook it, the disappointment of defeat prominent in his face.

"Mac," Windbag said. The wolf moved his face closer and cocked his ear. "Nix that dance you guys were gonna do…" This news made the Wolf Chief frown, but he nodded. Toadsworth took the stage as the combatants left among cheers from the crowd. Breaker and Hammer were among them, cheering loudly for their "Ghost buddy" as Maverick floated in circles around Kalliel. Luigi and Daisy applauded loudly for him.

Toadsworth cleared his throat and tapped the mic on the podium upon the stage. "Excuse me, ahem, yes. Sorry to interrupt the festivities, but it seems we have a bit of urgent news. Please, to everyone within earshot," he added, "give your attention to mister Skyggja," He said as he moved off of the stage for the dark-gray wolf to make his announcement.

Windbag froze. Sigurd growled lowly, his red eyes flashing. "Sire?" MacPherson queried.

"His name means 'Shadow…'" Windbag's lip curled into a snarl. "These bastards really are as stupid as I thought…"

MacPherson suddenly growled. "He's no Valdyr…he don't smell right…"

Windbag's eyes narrowed. "Sigurd…Fá minn öxi…" Sigurd nodded and disappeared amongst the crowd.

"Terribly sorry to interrupt the festivities. Yes, congratulations on that wonderful performance by our two members of gentry," Skyggja nodded with a grin. He continued to address the audience as Luigi idly looked out over the crowd. His gaze caught that of King Windbag's serious look. He was looking directly at the young man. Luigi raised a concerned eyebrow as the king mouthed the words "Get Nikolai."

"Professor Asimov," Luigi whispered, interrupting his and Gadd's conversation. "Yes, lad, vhat is eet?" He followed where Luigi was pointing.

"Get your gun," Windbag silently mouthed. Gadd stiffened when he saw his cousin's face harden. Nikolai slid off of the window sill. "Elvin, come with me." Gadd followed, his face stony and serious.

"Daisy, come on," Luigi said, sliding off of their perch. He gently picked her up and set her down as the Ulfr on the stage continued to speak. He gently took her wrist and made his way through the crowd to Mario and Peach.

"Something's not right," Luigi said. Mario nodded silently.

Skyggja sighed, "I truly apologize. I hate being the bearer of bad news however; I have in my hand three warrants of arrest." The crowd gasped and began murmuring. "The first is for King Magnus Windbag, the Second; for Regent Ludwig Von Koopa, is he anywhere?" He asked looking around, not seeing the enormous koopa nor his fiancée. The crowd murmured, panicked as Windbag bared his teeth in fury. "The third…for a mister Luigi Mario…" The wolf's golden eyes focused upon the young man as a loud whistling from outside the castle walls could be heard. Screams sounded before anything else. Luigi and Mario instinctively shielded Daisy and Peach as the upper ceiling exploded as several Bullet Bills crashed into the masonry. The crowd erupted in screams as several throngs of snarling Valdyr filed in behind their king.

Descending from the hole in his clown copter, Bowser sat laughing evilly as he stared down at the chaos.

Peach gasped, "What's wrong with him?!" Sure enough, Bowser's appearance had changed. His skin had a blackish tint to it, his hair was a darker shade of red, and his shell was entirely black. He laughed again.

Sigurd returned to his king's side carrying the large battle axe. Magnus turned his face to Skyggja. "Judges, you've gone too far!"

The Ulfr grinned wickedly before a cloud of shadow engulfed him. From the floor with loud roars sprang Loky and Grym as Judges assumed his real form and effortlessly swatted the podium away, baring his teeth as it splintered. The platoon of Valdyr all bared their teeth and snarled, growling and howling as they waited for their king to give the order to attack. Luigi drew the Key as Kalliel appeared by his side with his rapier.

"I knew something like this was going to happen…" Luigi muttered.

"Just remember, we're all in this together," Kalliel said as Mario took his stance, ready to fight.

"Breaker, Hammer, Mav! Get the girls out of here…" Luigi ordered.

Marius stood beside Luigi before slamming his two marble hammers together to create the single, giant hammer. "I'm not letting them take you…" He said as Pyewacket trotted in, bristling, baring tooth and claw.

"Pyewacket brave prince! Heara alla noise…No shadecats take Weegee!!

Several squadrons of Paratroopers hovered above the castle, visible through the damaged ceiling.

"Before you act, Lord Bowser…we reserve the right to know our crimes!!" Windbag bellowed.

The dark Bowser grinned, his voice not his own. "You are hereby charged with war crimes and conspiring against a country leader." He laughed again as Judges, Loky and Grym roared.

Bowser raised his paw and brought it down, pointing at them all.

"SEIZE THEM!!"


	34. Monsters Within

A/N: Whee really long one! I get so carried away…Anyway, please enjoy. This has been an ungodly sporadic summer for me, I returned from Germany about a week ago and I'm leaving for Australia in a few days…Oy… So here's an update. I'll have another one whipped up for you all when I get back. Enjoy, and thanks for sticking with me!

**Chapter 34: Monsters Within **

"SIEZE THEM!!" The cry tore itself from Bowser's throat as the paratroopers pelted through the enormous hole in the wall. Several were even bold enough to smash themselves through the windows.

Judges gave a roar and the three Manticores leapt from the diadem into the group of guards and heroes, slashing and stabbing wildly with tentacle, tooth, claw, and stinger tail.

"SKRIFF!!" Came an enraged cry from King Windbag. The Valdyr at his side roared and howled maddeningly as they threw themselves into the fray, teeth and claws glittering. Good thing, too. Innumerable clouds of shadow began seeping up through the cracks in the floor and materialized into the frightening shapes of shady dark Koopatrols. They hissed as they fought, red eyes blazing.

Windbag drew his crystal wand and slammed the end through one shade, transforming it instantly into solid ice. A loud shattering noise followed as he slammed the blade of his battleaxe down. The shards of ice flew in every direction as the shade ceased to be. Sigurd took several shadowy figures out with a few swipes of his claws, leaving glowing white slash marks in their bodies before they fell into small piles of ash.

"Sigurd!" Windbag called, completely slicing the shell off of one dive-bombing paratrooper. "Vernda Luigi yfirleitt kostnaður!!"

"Graah!!" Sigurd nodded, his red garnet eyes flashing. He howled a long, eerie howl before bounding his way through the chaos, a mountain of white fur and muscles. His orders were to protect Luigi at all costs…and that was precisely what he was going to do. Marius busied himself with a large sledge bro. that had appeared before him as Maverick slammed his round, white body into a few paratroopers like a pinball, knocking them out of the air. They ducked into their shells and hit the floor with small thuds. Kalliel, Mario, and Luigi looked at each other for a second before simultaneously kicking all three shells away from them towards a large group of dark soldiers who were rushing a desperately outnumbered group of palace toad guards. The shells cleared them in a split second and the battered toads gave them a thumbs up, hoisting their spears in the air.

"There are too many of them!" Marius shouted, blood seeping from a gash on his forehead.

MacPherson appeared at their side, swinging a great claymore. "Numbers dunae win tae war, lad…skill'll prevail!"

"Skill goes only as far as endurance, General," Kalliel said as Marius and Luigi fired a barrage of fireballs at Bowser.

Toad came running up with a few feathery, red leaves in his fist. "Mario!! Luigi!!" He hollered over the din. Mario gratefully took the leaf and smiled as he absorbed its magic. A fuzzy pair of ears appeared on top of his head and a raccoon tail sprouted from his behind as he clenched his hand. Spinning with a fluttering noise, he effortlessly batted away several goombas that had barreled towards them. Luigi pocketed the leaf, looking around frantically, the key flashing in his hand. "Mario!! Where are the girls?!"

Mario looked at his brother in panic. Kalliel pointed to the stairwell. "There!!"

"Come with me!" Luigi said, grabbing Kalliel by the arm. He nodded, his rapier gleaming with black blood. He turned and grimaced, seeing the crowd of fighters battling it out, knowing that somewhere in that mess, Judges, Loky, and Grym prowled like sharks beneath the surface, waiting to kill him. He swallowed, then with a final look at Kalliel, jumped high into the air and landed on the back of a Koopatrol. He bounced off another, then another, like stepping stones. Kalliel didn't hesitate to follow suit. Leaping onto a paratrooper's back and knocking its wings off, he used it as a springboard to the next one. They both landed near the princesses and the Hammer bros.

"Dude!!" Breaker said in awe as Kalliel and Luigi flipped and landed near them, swords drawn.

"No Time!!" Both men barked as they ran to the princesses. Peach looked a bit worn out. She had been casting barrier magic to protect their small group from stray fireballs and bullet bills.

"Come on, guys!" Luigi said, gently taking the girls' wrists.

"This way, quickly!! Make haste!" Kalliel said, raising his rapier as he disappeared up the stairwell.

"Wait!" Peach said, her voice laden heavily with concern. "What about Mario and the others?"

Luigi winced, feeling a hot stone of guilt settle into his stomach. "Th-they'll be alright. Come on!" He led them up the stairs following Kalliel. "Breaker, Hammer! Let's go!"

But Breaker and Hammer merely smiled at him, drew their plain black hammers and gave him a thumbs up. "Don't worry about us!" With that, they disappeared, arms flailing, into the crowd. "Marius needs us!" Breaker called back one last time.

Luigi looked down the stairs in sheer worry as Kalliel reappeared, "Come on!"

Judges raised his head, hearing Kalliel's urgent cry. Seeing his prey escaping, he roared furiously and started off towards the main staircase with a bounding leap. As his legs touched the ground again and he readied for another spring, the massive bulk of Sigurd slammed into his side with a howling battle cry.

Judges was furious, and swiped at the Sut-Ulfr with his talons and scorpion-sting tail with all he could muster. The two great beasts wrestled across the floor as Mario took to the air with his raccoon tail.

Judges finally managed to wiggle out of the great wolf's grasp and with a swat of his paw, knocked Sigurd off balance. The white wolf bellowed painfully as black claws raked through his back, tearing fur and skin. He twisted around and brought his great fist up, connecting it squarely with Judges' heavy jaw. He flashed his claws as Judges struggled to his feet, swaying slightly. Sigurd swiped, knowing that his claws would rend the shadowy flesh. His hand never made it to his target, for a long, shadowy tentacle snapped itself around his wrist, picked him up, and flung him away.

* * *

Mario dodged and kicked several koopas out of the way as he flew towards the wall. It was a daring maneuver, but one that would hopefully go unnoticed by the great dragon-beast sitting in the clown-copter near him. He flipped, connected his feet to the wall, and pushed off with all of the strength in his legs. He ceased the fluttering of his tail as he back flipped through the air and brought his feet in front of him. At the last possible second, he twisted and kicked out, his foot connecting squarely with the back of Bowser-Kamek's head. The beast gave a great roar as he toppled out of the swerving clown-copter. He landed soundly on his back with a crunching THUD.

* * *

Windbag slashed and parried, stabbed and shouldered everything within reach. He paused, seeing Sigurd's injured form on the marble floor, blood staining his white fur crimson. A rogue hammer bro. brought his hammer down squarely on the King's head in his moment of shock.

Windbag swayed momentarily as the hammer broke over his head. The hammer bro behind him looked down at the handle of his broken hammer in shock and panic as the King rubbed his head painfully. "Owww….Motherf-…" He growled as he rounded on the stunned beaked koopa. With a strong kick, he sent the koopa flying. Still rubbing his sore head, he ran over to his friend's side. He gently propped the huge wolf's head up. Sigurd hissed and winced from the pain.

"Thank the stars you're alive," Windbag smiled. He examined his wounds quickly, taking care not to let Sigurd roll onto his back. "Where's Luigi?"

Sigurd winced and pointed to the staircase.

"…And Kalliel?"

The Valdyr continued to point silently at the staircase. Windbag nodded. "Good." He placed the tip of his wand at the top of each of the three deep gashes in Sigurd's back and gently ran it down each of the cuts, watching as each as each cut closed like a zipper. He then placed his hand on Sigurd's forehead and blinked as a small flash of light leapt from his hand like a small electric jolt. "I give you some of my strength. Help protect the others."

Sigurd leapt to his feet, bristling. Windbag had plenty of strength to spare. He and his king charged angrily into the fray once more.

* * *

The four humans ran desperately up the stairs as a roar sounded behind them. "Judges is coming…" Peach whispered fearfully. Kalliel spied a door just a bit farther. "Come on, just a bit more."

"I really don't see how going higher is going to help us!" Daisy said in frustration as Kalliel took hold of the handle. He turned it, slamming into it. His body hit the door with a dull thud as Luigi paused. "Well, that was very anti-climactic…" he said sarcastically.

Kalliel shouldered it again, "Dammit…it's locked!"

"That's it, we're screwed…" Luigi said in exhaustion. "We can't keep fighting all night."

"Give me your dagger…" Kalliel panted.

"Wha…?"

"New lesson, Luigi…" He breathed as Luigi handed it to him hilt-first. "This is why it's called 'The Key.'" Without another word, he took it and gently placed the tip of the blade to the keyhole.

"It's not gonna fit…" Luigi said, shaking his head. The dagger was too big!

"Really?" Kalliel asked with an amusing glint in his eyes. With a sharp jab, the shoved the dagger through. The blade's metal seemed to have instantly molded to fit into the keyhole. Kalliel quickly turned it, smiling as he heard that satisfying 'Click' from the lock. Luigi stared dumbfounded as Kalliel removed the dagger, its blade the exact same as it had been moments before. He handed the dagger back to Luigi and once again tried the door. It swung open.

"Use it on any lock and it shall open it without fail…even magic locks."

"That's…amazing…and really handy…" Luigi said awestruck.

"Inside, all of you!" Kalliel said sharply as the sound of padded foot-falls sounded from the stairwell. Once inside with the others, he slammed the door shut. "Luigi! Tap the keyhole twice…hurry!"

Luigi ran forward and with the tip of the Key's blade, gently tapped the lock with a musical 'ting, ting.' The lock clacked as it locked itself. Daisy looked around. "Aw great! This is just a spare room!" She grumbled. "What're we gonna do? Jump out the window?"

_Come on, Luigi…Think, think…_There was nothing in the room that could be of any use. It was just a spare bedroom with a wardrobe, a bed and a mirror.

"Of course you aren't jumping, your majesty…" Kalliel said lightly. "Through the mirror…" he spoke these three words more at Luigi than anyone else. "Take them somewhere where they'll be safe."

"What about you?"

Kalliel smiled. "Don't worry about me. I'll be alright. I'll just sneak around the outside." He said, nodding to the parapets. Luigi shook his head.

"Judges'll come smashing through that door in about a minute."

"He cannot shadow his way though," Kalliel said sternly. "The door's magicked now."

Luigi shook his head again. "No…It's not the magic I'm worried about, it's the door. It's not gonna last very long…"

"Oh yes… I…erm, see your point."

"Kalliel come on…!" Luigi was cut off as a splintering crunch sounded from the door.

"Go…now!" Kalliel said, shoving him towards the mirror. "I shall cover your escape!" Daisy tugged at Luigi's arm. "Come on, let's go! I dunno where or how, but come on! He said he'll be fine, babe!"

He looked at her and painfully back at Kalliel. His first other family besides Mario. He didn't care whether he was 1500 years older, he was still family, and he felt horrible for leaving him here. He gritted his teeth. "I swear, Kalliel, if you die I'm bringing you back and killing you again!!"

He grabbed the two princesses by the wrists gently and ran towards the mirror, focusing his thought and energy into one effort.

Knowing he couldn't hear him, Kalliel silently thought, _you are doing your job, Luigi…I cannot say how proud I am to be your mentor…_

"Um, Luigi?!" Daisy gasped in a panic as they belted towards the mirror. "We're not ghosts!"

"Hold on!" He yelled as he leapt through, bringing the two girls with him. He heard Daisy's panicked cry in his ear before feeling that odd floating sensation and hearing everything like he was underwater. He gained his consciousness, feeling his friends' wrists still in his grasp. "Do not let go of me!" He said, hearing his voice like it was far-off.

In the mirror world, he could see hundreds of silvery lights where mirrors offered portal into the solid world. He brought the image of his foyer to his mind and began flying rapidly through that weird space.

* * *

Kalliel stood with the rapier in his hand. He relished the feel of true battle…the adrenaline pounding in his veins was a mix of the thrill of the fight coupled with the fearful realization that he was mortal and could easily be killed, even by accident. He closed his eyes, trying to focus his dwindling strength. He had not fought like this in over a millennia, and the years of lying dormant had left his mortal body unused to the long-term effects of the fight. He opened his eyes as another splintering crash met his ears. Judges' great, shadowy paw was showing through the broken planks of the door. Kalliel raised his rapier with newfound reassurance… Luigi would be back.

* * *

Luigi strained to go faster as he neared the mirror in his foyer. He realized his blunder a bit too late as the three rocketed out of the shimmering portal and skittered across the tiled floor.

"Ow…" Daisy groaned, rubbing her head. Luigi quickly clambered to his feet and helped the two girls up. "Hey! When did you change clothes?" Daisy asked in befuddlement upon seeing Luigi in his surcoat and boots.

"When we went into the mirror…it's a spirit- oh I'll explain later. SHIVERS!!" He called frantically. "Are you here?"

"Master Luigi! Princesses Daisy and Peach! Oh this is a pleasant surprise…" He trailed off seeing Luigi's worn face.

"What has happened?"

"Get these two somewhere safe…the castle's been attacked. I gotta go back… I can't leave Kalliel and Mario!" He cried. "Where have you been?" he asked with heavy curiosity.

"Comforting Madame Clairvoya…she has the sword in her den, if that's what you seek…"

"Thank you, Shivers…Please, hide them. Somewhere safe." He turned and ran to the steps. "I'll be back!" He pelted down the hall to the fortune teller's room and practically burst through the doors.

"Madame! Madame!" He cried. "Where are you, please! I need your help!" A light appeared in the crystal ball as Madame Clairvoya materialized cradling the Sword of Lazarus.

"Darkness and despair have merged…" she hiccupped. She had obviously been crying. "…but you…" She breathed as Luigi knelt by her side. She gently smoothed his shaggy hair out of his face and touched the mark on his forehead. It flared to life. "You alone have the power to save us…" The corners of her eyes turned up in a smile.

"I can't do this alone."

"You don't need to, young one…" she said serenely as she handed him the scabbard-clad battle sword. Her face snapped into one of urgency and her eyes filled with tears. "Please…make haste…Kalliel is in danger…" With that she faded into a ball of light and disappeared into the crystal ball. Luigi stood, grasping the sword. A frown appeared on his features as he strapped the sword to his back and inhaled deeply to calm his nerves. The thick incense-laden air caused him to cough several times, but he recovered himself and stood tall, eyebrows furrowing with determination.

_I'm not gonna be the coward anymore…_

He took off towards a mirror at the other end of the room at a sprint, and with a leaping jump, dove through into the mirror world.

* * *

With a final ear-splitting crack, the door separating Kalliel from Judges shattered. The three Manticores leapt into the room, Loky and Grym having joined him, only seconds before.

"WHAT?!" Judges bellowed, seeing the room empty. "Search the window!" He barked as he trotted about. He smashed the wardrobe with his tail as Loky stood and rested his paws on the windowsill.

"He's…gone!" he said, dumbfounded. "They're all gone!"

"Idiot! They couldn't have just disappeared into thin air…" Judges hissed.

Grym padded to the center of the room and sneered. "Perhaps our little green friend has learned to use the mirrors…" he mused. Loky dropped back down on all fours and plodded over to Grym. "What lies beyond the looking glass eh, Judges?" Grym smiled a toothy grin.

"GRAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!" The largest of the Manticores roared at the top of his lungs as he destroyed the mirror, grinding the pieced into the floor with his paws. He angrily walked to where the other two sat and seethed. "He could be anywhere then…" He paused, his yellow almond eyes flashing. Judges sniffed the air. The three looked at each other and slowly looked up as Kalliel dropped from the rafters with a battle cry.

The stunned Manticores didn't quite know what had hit them as they suffered through the powerful barrage from the Dragon of the East. Unleashing his fury in the form of the deadly martial arts he had learned in Chai, Kalliel practically swept them all up as he struck out with a whirlwind kick, throwing them into the air.

_Too fast…_Judges winced to himself as Kalliel kept them up in the air with a series of punches, kicks, and jabs. They were finally knocked into the air with one final sweeping low kick akin to that of a sweeping break dancing move before being slammed down to the floor with a slam from Kalliel's fists. Without missing a beat, Kalliel landed and shakily ran through the open door and down the stairs.

"He's too…fast…" Loky groaned. All of them sported small lacerations from being stabbed by the sword. Thanks to their shadowy bodies, the wounds healed almost instantly and they wearily clambered to their feet.

"…the hell…was that?" Grym hissed sorely.

"He won't get far…" Judges said. Though it hurt them all to move, they took off at a bounding gallop down the stairs.

"Gah…Damn these stairs!!" Kalliel cried as he lost his footing near the bottom. He fell down the last few, wincing as he pushed himself up weakly. That last attack had cost him nearly all of his remaining energy. He wiped a few sweat-soaked strands of shaggy sable hair out of his face before hurrying over to where he saw King Windbag and Mario battling the demonic Bowser.

"What's wrong with him?!" Mario gasped as he stumbled backwards. His jacket was torn and singed in several places from the ensuing fight as Windbag helped him up. Both were looking worse for wear.

"He's been possessed…" Windbag panted, as he whipped his wand above his head. The shards of ice that had come from his shattered victims flew into the air. As he brought the icy wand down, the shards flew like daggers through the air at the evil entity. Several struck the massive turtle, but in a fiery rage, he melted the others with a massive blast of fire from his mouth.

"I…_reeeaaalllyyy…_wish Kalliel was here…His water powers would prove to be very useful…" Windbag said. Bowser gave a sharp bellow as a man barreled forward and struck out with his rapier, blocking Bowser's heavy blows. Kalliel's strength was almost spent as he accidentally let one blow slip past. Bowser's fist struck him in the jaw, stunning him before slashing him across the chest. He flew backwards and slid across the floor. His blue satin shirt was torn open, exposing the muscles beneath and the scar he had received from his last fight with Kamek; his final blow.

"You…" Bowser hissed.

"Kamek…" He growled, blood streaming from his lip. "Yeah…me…"

"WHY WON'T YOU JUST DIE?!" Kamek screamed as a gunshot rang out. Kamek bellowed in pain, clutching his wounded shoulder as he collapsed to the floor. Behind the fallen koopa king, Nikolai stood reloading his rifle.

Kalliel turned himself over and reached out for his rapier. He stopped when he saw a large, black something move out of the corer of his eye. He strained as he pushed himself up. He smirked weakly, "…Back to your pit…Hellhound…" He hissed at Grym who was seated on the nearby edge of the fountain.

"It is a pity that Luigi will lose such a great friend. I do commend you, water spirit…your bravery is applaudable. However…the time has come for us to bid farewell to each other…permanently…" Grym smiled a wicked smile before pouncing, claws and teeth bared. Two loud shots sounded, and Grym never got the opportunity to end Kalliel's life. Electricity crackled strongly within his body as his fur stood on end. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious. His fur smoked and his eyes were rolled back. Kalliel weakly wiped the blood from his mouth and looked up.

Gadd stood there with his cross-bolt, grinning. "HahahaHA!!" He laughed at Grym, "Gotcha THAT time…ya' little turd…"

Nikolai shook his head as Kalliel smiled.

Kamek got to his feet, the wound on his shoulder gone. He rounded on Nikolai, who calmly raised his rifle again.

Kamek's face twisted into one of shock and fury as Windbag darted forward and slammed his wand into his side, transforming him into a crystalline structure of ice. "Uh-uh, we ain't playin' this game!" He said, slamming his axe into it, hoping that it would shatter like the others. Instead, the axe hit with a dull THUNK and sent the glittering sculpture sliding away and crashing into the far wall.

"Crap…I thought that would work…" He said as Mario pointed to Kalliel, who had grasped the hilt of his rapier, yet had not gotten up. Windbag went over and knelt by him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You really don't know when to call it a life, do you?" Kalliel smiled weakly as Windbag sent a jolt of his strength through him.

"You must quit doing that, you'll exhaust yourself…" Kalliel said as he was helped to his feet.

"Psh…" Windbag scoffed cockily. "I've got plenty to spare." He turned to Mario and nodded. He slammed the blade of his axe into the ground and slid his wand back into its loop at his belt. "I've had enough of this…" He growled before slamming his hands together. There was a bright flash followed by crackling as a blue light spread up Windbag's hands and arms from his palms. He raised his arms stiffly above his head when the light stopped at about mid-bicep range. The light faded and his arms appeared frozen. He clenched his fists with a loud CRACK and brought his arms down. The fabric of his shirt sleeves, having become brittle from the extreme cold, shattered like glass, exposing his arms, which were now glassy and blue. His hands looked as though they were encased in icy gauntlets and his fingers ended in sharp tips. "The Icehands, the Firebrand…Where's Luigi? We need the Thunderhand," he snickered.

* * *

Kamek was growing irate. Now fully thawed, he bellowed for his troops to press the attack. The playing field was too small, much to the shadow forces' disadvantage. More and more shadow warriors appeared in a last ditch effort. The Valdyr increased their ferocity as the small group of heroes stood back to back, fighting for their lives.

Suddenly, a blast of electricity blew apart a set of doors on one side of the destroyed ballroom. Luigi burst out, swinging Sword and Key and yelling in an angry attempt to muster his courage. The tails of his surcoat fluttered as he whipped around, slicing several of the quirky shades in half. Their bodies disappeared in swirls of light.

"Ah, the one-man cavalry's arrived," Gadd beamed, standing with his back to Nikolai's. His crossbolt had claimed many an enemy that night, but he had begun to run low on ammo.

Judges, having been hit by Luigi's blast, picked himself up and snarled. He charged at Kalliel, forcefully slashing him with his paw. The man flew backwards and slammed headfirst into the wall.

Luigi gasped as he saw Kalliel's body slump. He had been knocked out, but that made him even more vulnerable. He slumped over and fell to the ground, a trickle of blood oozing from beneath his hair, and three profusely bloody gashes on the side of his face and chest.

Luigi looked around. Their situation seemed hopeless. The sound of galloping feet snapped him back to reality.

"Heh, heh, I got a few tricks to show you," Loky sniggered as he appeared from the ground.

"And I for you…" Luigi said, as Loky pounced. He slammed his fist into the ground and twirled as a green bubble of light expanded away from him. He chanted something as he made several hand gestures and graceful sweeps. Loky was caught in the strange light and hovered drunkenly. Luigi smirked, "Welcome to the negative zone…" he said, his voice sounding alien and detached.

Kamek stared at the green bubble and grinned wickedly, "Well, well… so he _can _use dark magic…" Mario heard this and stared at his brother as he proceeded to beat the living mortal mess out of Loky before ejecting him with a forceful kick. The bubble expanded and disappeared.

Judges and Windbag were grappling fiercely. Magnus knew he had to keep him away from the unconscious man. If Kalliel died that night, that would be it. "LUIGI!!" He screamed as he slashed with his icy claws, "DO SOMETHING!!" Where claws met fur, a stripe of ice was left. All Windbag needed to do was get both hands squarely on Judges to freeze him, a task that was proving to be easier said than done. He swatted at one of the tentacles, grinning as it shattered into a million icy pieces. Another one slithered out from the stump. Judges roared angrily.

"You can't keep regenerating forever…" Windbag snapped, raising his ice-clad fists up, a wolfish snarl masking his face.

"Sure I can," Judges sneered.

Luigi thought frantically. He was too far away from either Judges or Kamek to do anything physical. He thought and thought. His friends could be dying; Kalliel was unconscious…Kalliel…that was it. He cast an apologetic look to his friend as he placed a hand to his chest and drew the small blue orb. It hung suspended in the air, glittering wetly like a liquid jewel.

"I'm sorry to cut your mortal time so short, but I think you'd agree with me one hundred percent…" He muttered to himself, staring at Kalliel. He looked at the fountain and prayed to the gods that this would work. He heaved the orb.

It sailed through the air and landed perfectly in the water of the fountain. All to Luigi seemed to silence as he breathed one word. "Awaken…"

The water glowed, and all actions ceased. There came a crunch from where Kalliel was laying. There was a small puddle of melted ice that he had landed in. Infused by that bit of liquid and the summoning call, the man's eyes snapped open to reveal golden irises and reptilian-slit pupils. The crunch had come from his hand, which was now sporting a black claw at the end of each finger, and was tearing a rip in the solid marble floor.

Gadd and Nikolai slowly lowered their weapons.

Kalliel, heaving himself to his knees took in a slow breath, flashing a mouthful of sharpened teeth; his canines fang-like. A roar tore from his throat. No longer did blood drip from the tears in his skin. Luigi gasped as he caught sight of the torn flesh of his face and chest and what lay beneath it…

Blue scales shone through the cuts…

The Dragon had awakened.


	35. Hollow Victory

**Chapter 35: Hollow Victory**

The entire hall was silent, save for the baited panting of the combatants and low growls from the Manticores. Kalliel, now struggling to hold on to what little human part of him he had left, covered his ears and winced as another growl tore itself from his chest.

Luigi stumbled a bit; his knees shaking. He panted heavily as he stared at Kalliel.

Judges took advantage of the lull and rammed heavily into Windbag, sending him sliding across the floor. The Valdyr snapped to attention and launched themselves upon him, trying to defend their king. Loky and Grym, on the other hand, turned on Kalliel, growling.

"Keep him AWAY from the fountain!!" Kamek bellowed as he picked himself heavily off of the floor. The Manticores turned their attention to their master before nodding and turning back to where Kalliel knelt. Loky paused, "…eh…where…?" He was cut off as a loud snarl sounded from above them. Claws and teeth bared, Kalliel leapt at them, the sapphire-blue scales showing through his numerous cuts. Loky ducked and covered his face with his paws as Grym swatted the man away with a sharp flick of his scorpion-tail. Kalliel hit the floor hard on his side and slid through a puddle of water. As his skin touched it, it immediately was absorbed; turning the flesh on his hands and arms a transparent blue. He leapt up sharply and clung to a hanging banner before clambering up it. The dragon inside of him was angry and wanted out…

* * *

Windbag and Judges grappled fiercely, exchanging blows with loud CHINKS as shadowy claws hit solid ice. Judges grimaced viciously. His paws and claws were becoming coated in frost. In a final attempt, he brought both paws down, hoping to power through the King's defenses. Windbag seized this opportunity and grabbed Judges' wrists, smirking triumphantly as the Manticore's paws froze. The ice began slowly snaking its way up the Manticore's muscular arms. Judges' yellow almond eyes widened in shock.

"Game over…" Windbag growled with a smirk. Judges wrinkled his nose in angered disgust before lashing at Windbag's arm with his tail. The jab was viper-fast and powerful. The icy arm shattered. "Ugh!" Windbag cried, not out of pain, but out of shock as he stared at the icy stump that once was attached to his elbow.

Before Judges could strike again, General MacPherson pounced and punched the massive black lion away. His lip curled into a snarl as his dark fur stood on end. "Aye! Tha'll teach ye a lesson…Ye don't mess wi' Iceland!!" He turned to Magnus and offered a heavy paw. "Ach…I think ye'd best be lookin' a' retirement, eh? Getting' a wee too old, ain't yeh?" The Highland General taunted.

"Like hell!" Windbag laughed, jamming the remaining part of his ice-clad right arm into the nearby fountain. As he withdrew it, his arm reappeared; rebuilt from frozen water. He hadn't felt any pain when it had shattered and clenched his fist to test it, admiring the fact that his arm bore no mark from being hit. He turned back to Judges. "You're not the only one who can regenerate, y'know," he smirked.

Judges glared. "We'll see…"

MacPherson brandished his claymore. "Nah, Ye'll nae be gettin' tha' chance, lad…" He was cut off as Windbag held up a hand.

"Now, now, Mac…We must settle this like gentlemen…C'mon, let your old king have some fun," He chuckled, cracking his knuckles. MacPherson sighed as he lowered his sword. This simple jest and lightheartedness absolutely infuriated Judges, who leapt at the King with unholy savagery.

* * *

There wasn't much Luigi could do. He had called forth the dragon, but the water spirit was an entity with a mind of its own. The Eidolon book said that once summoned, an elemental spirit was very free spirited and that there had been cases where the spirit turned on its summoner. A small relief to Luigi that Kalliel was more interested in helping him than hurting him. Still, the battle between sides seemed to be evenly matched, much to Luigi's dismay. They weren't getting anywhere, and the injuries and casualties were stacking up. The only hope of getting out of this mess was Kalliel, and he seemed to be having a hard enough time trying to reach the fountain with the Manticores chasing him. Whenever he'd try to leap for it, one would knock him away and retaliate, only to have Kalliel angrily tear them a new one. With all of the fire and ice flying around, small puddles of water were accumulating and every time Kalliel came near one, it was absorbed into his body. Slowly, he would gather enough water energy this way, but it was too slow of a method to do anyone any good.

Loky gave a sharp yelp as Kalliel seized him by the tail and flung him against the wall. Grym paused and bared his teeth before seizing Kalliel with his shadowy tentacles. He whipped him sharply to him and slashed down with his claws, slicing more skin off of Kalliel's chest. There was a growl, followed by a heavy blow as Grym was knocked backwards, three slash-marks in his cheek. Kalliel was thrown backwards into a loose wall, and buried beneath the ensuing fall of rubble.

Grym helped his youngest brother up. "You really mustn't be so rash in your decisions…" He growled. He could see Luigi out of the corner of his eye. He turned to him casually as the young man hefted the sword up in both hands, the weight too much for him. "Bah…you honestly think you're a match for us now?"

Loky grinned mischievously. "Yeah…just 'cause you've got that coat and sword? Face it!" Loky spat, "…You don't have the power or know-how to use those effectively."

Luigi cried out as the sword's weight became too much for him to support with his arms extended. The tip fell and wedged itself with a 'klink' in the marble floor. Luigi hoisted himself up with it and clung to the hilt as he leaned heavily upon it. A smirk played on his lips, "Maybe not…but I'm not trying to match up evenly with you guys…" he panted.

The two frowned as they caught Kalliel climbing out of the rubble. With a growl, the pair rushed past Luigi. Leaving the sword standing in its place, Luigi swiftly grabbed Grym by the tail with both hands. _What the hell am I doing…?!_ Luigi asked himself. He had acted purely out of shock, not bothering to think about the repercussions.

"Grah!!" Grym roared as he lost his footing and crashed to the ground. "Loky!!" The younger Manticore kept up his dash towards Kalliel. Grym snarled and turned his head to Luigi. "You're really getting on my nerves, boy!"

"Luigi!! Let go! We've got it!" Gadd hollered as he, Nikolai, and Mario came running towards him.

"Are you out of your mind? There are teeth in the other end!"

Grym opened his mouth and hissed as he flicked his tail, sending Luigi flying upwards and backwards to the wall. As he then tried to run, he was caught in the shoulder by a rifle shot and buckled to the ground.

Time seemed to slow for Luigi as he hurled through space. His mind raced as he planned his next moves. His brother and the professors didn't know the danger they were in. He flipped and tensed his body, focusing his energy into a single attack. As his feet touched the stone walls, he bent his legs and pushed off with a deafening explosion. As he flew back in the direction he came from, he charged up a bright blue ball of the fire and electricity combo.

Grym had gotten up, the wound on his shoulder closing. "That still hurt…" He growled at Nikolai.

"Goodt…" Asimov breathed, his eyebrows lowering into a scowl. An "Umf!" sounded behind him, as Loky had once again stopped Kalliel from dashing for the water source. A buzzing, crackling noise met his ears as Loky appeared next to him. He whipped his head around to see Luigi rocketing towards them in midair, a blue ball of crackling fire in each hand that was spreading over his arms. The human's body connected cleanly with Loky and Grym's and all in a split second, the transfer of energy was complete. There was an explosion and Grym and Loky were sent rocketing away, crashing through the far window out into the snow.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow!! Mama-mia!" Luigi said, trying to put out the fire on his pants. "My butt's on fire!!" His face and clothes were covered in soot and the tips of his mustache were singed.

"Well, siddown!!" Gadd hollered as he took hold of Luigi's surcoat and tried to pull him down. "What the hell happened there? You looked like you spontaneously combusted…" Gadd muttered.

"I did…I had a misfire…look, I did the math…It's a twelve point five percent chance of happening…"

He felt a heavy hand on his shoulder and grunted as he was forced down into a pile of snow. He looked up to the owner of the hand and stared right into the golden eyes of Kalliel, who gave him a concerned look. The skin all of the way up his right arm and even onto his neck and jaw line was now translucent and blue. "They are vexing me greatly…" He said in a detached voice.

* * *

Windbag had regenerated and repaired his Icehands several times and still he and Judges showed no sign of slowing. Finally, they held each other in a fierce grapple.

"We can't…keep doing this forever…" Windbag snarled.

"…Agreed…" Judges panted his reply, lashing out with his tentacles before slamming his claws into Windbag's arm. The shadowy tentacle had lodged itself in his arm, but as the King raised his palm to try and freeze it, there came a loud shattering snap followed by pain unlike any he had ever felt in his life. All of the color drained from his face and his pupils became no more than pinpricks.

An anguished cry tore itself from his lungs as he collapsed; holding his bleeding forearm…at least…what was left of it. Halfway up between his wrist and elbow, the arm had been destroyed, the shards of ice melting on the floor a little ways away. Judges had negated the effects of the Icehand right as he shattered it, leaving Windbag injured and bleeding heavily.

As he was preparing to make the final blow, Judges was stopped as Maverick appeared and sank his small fangs into his tail. Sigurd and MacPherson were on him within seconds, giving time for Windbag to move. He grit his teeth and pulled his silver and crystal wand out as he extended his profusely bleeding arm out so it was resting on a small pile of snow. He gently poked his bicep with the tip of the icy wand, groaning as it regained its abilities and returned to its icy state. The snow and blood both froze itself to his arm as it renewed itself. Windbag flexed it, his face regaining its color. The Icehand, at its base was red in color from blood before melding with the translucent bluish-white of the rest of the ice. He wiped the sweat away that had been beading on his brow.

Judges gave a sharp growl before melting into a pool of shadow. The three fell to the floor before being thrown away as Judges leapt up bristling. Windbag clenched his fists as he pointed his wand at the beast.

"Huh?!" He gasped as Judges turned and made a beeline for Luigi and Kalliel. The two stood between him and the fountain. Windbag panted, still in shock from the pain. "Luigi!! Look out!!" he screamed as Judges slammed into him and Kalliel.

Luigi hit the floor and bounced twice before slamming against the rim of the fountain. Kalliel, however, had become airborne and slammed with a 'CRUNCH' into the fountain's centerpiece. His eyes closed painfully as he fell into the water below, much to Judges' fury. Luigi rubbed his head, "Ah…" He shook his head and looked up at Judges.

The Manticore was waiting with baited breath as he watched the fountain through narrowed eyes. If Luigi wasn't mistaken…he looked somewhat frightened. The water stirred momentarily, but then stilled and didn't move again.

"Heh…" Judges chuckled darkly, "I'm guessing he was probably dead by the time he hit the water."

_Come on Kalliel…Any time…_

"Now…" Judges said, examining his paw. "You've been a thorn in my side for far too long…I still haven't gotten you back for that time on the island…" He held up his paw, showing Luigi the glowing white mark on it. "The question now…is whether to kill you quickly, or leave you with a fatal wound so you can die slowly…pity, though…I kinda wanted to watch you die slowly…Hmm…I don't want to give you an opportunity to escape again…"

Luigi panicked. He was too exhausted to move, Windbag was still down, and Mario and the others were fighting off the monstrosity of Bowser and Kamek. He closed his eyes and winced as Judges came closer.

All of the sounds of battle around him faded into nothing but the sound of his own frantically beating heart and an unknown, barely audible rumble from behind him. The rumble seemed to grow in volume. He finally opened his eyes to see Judges slowly backing away. He looked up just in time to see a great dragon erupt from the fountain's rim, its great head tossed back in a howl. Kalliel whipped his great head down and bellowed angrily. Judges flinched, roaring back, his fur being ruffled by the force of the dragon's roar.

Luigi trembled violently, terrified out of his wits as Kalliel heaved himself out of the fountain, his sapphire scales gleaming lucidly in the hall lights. All signs of battle ceased as both sides stared at the magnificent creature crawling out of the fountain. He struck at Judges like a snake, his amber eyes flashing angrily and his pearly teeth revealed in a snarl. He struck several more times, each time being narrowly avoided by the large Manticore. He finally loosed a jet of water from his mouth, sending Judges tumbling away.

"It isn't enough…My powers are limited as I am now!" Kalliel said in his rumbling voice. He lowered his head so Luigi could use him to pull himself up. "I need more water…at this rate, I'll return to my original state in a matter of minutes."

"The moat…just outside," Luigi said, keeping a hand firmly on his horn. "It connects to the river."

"Yes…you're right…I-…DUCK!!" He sent another jet of water to meet a blast of fire from Bowser. As he was, Kalliel wasn't able to keep his powers up for long. Though the fountain had provided him with a sufficient amount to release his spirit form, it didn't give him enough to sustain it. The jet of fire overpowered him and sent him sprawling into a pile of rubble. The long sinuous body floundered as Kalliel pulled himself out of the pile and hurried across the floor. His jowls were gnashing angrily as his eyes flashed. He rammed into Kamek, sending the dragon-beast skidding away, but was hit by a dark blast of energy that sent him sliding back across the floor. His claws raked across the marble as Luigi ran to him and tried to help him up.

"Are you alright?" He asked shakily.

Kalliel panted. "Fear not for me…" He roared a challenge once again and with an undulating motion, took to the air. He dodged several more balls of dark energy before hissing and hurling himself out through one of the top windows.

A wheezy, cackling laugh sounded from Bowser. "You see?!" His voice was still that of Kamek's. "…Even the mightiest of Dragons can be brought down!!"

"You didn't bring him down…" Windbag rasped, whipping his wand into the air. All of the water on the floor rapidly turned into spikes of ice that filled the air as thickly as the falling snowflakes. Bringing his wand down, Windbag sent all of them rocketing at Kamek who gave another insane cackle and put his palm up, a wall of black fire appearing between him and the crystalline missiles. He kept laughing as each one melted back into a pool of liquid as it touched his shield.

"You see…" He started as he gave a swipe of his paw, knocking the last few out of the air. "Normal weapons cannot kill spirits, am I right? Of course I'm right…" He scoffed. Mario and Luigi stood next to each other, clenching their fists. "Now…your dragon is a spirit, and I have no doubt he'll be back in about three seconds to obliterate my forces, however, I'm shadow…" He grinned wickedly, a ball of black fire appearing in his hand. "…and I can easily kill… a spirit…" He flung the crackling ball at a nearby Valdyr, who crumpled, burning, to the ground with a dying howl. "…along with anything else…" He snapped his fingers. The clown copter appeared from the sky and he hopped into it. "I congratulate you for now, plumbers…I'll give it to ya'… you won the battle for today…the war, however is far from over. You see, all of this," he motioned to the swath of destruction he had left. "…is all part of the plan…mark my words though, Luigi…you can officially count yourself on the 'hit-list.' My Manticores will hunt you down no matter where you go…Steel yourself, boy…" he spat. "…The worst is yet to come!" With that, he disappeared into the heavens.

An earsplitting roar sounded from outside. Kalliel was returning.

As Kamek climbed higher into the sky, he looked below him. In the moat surrounding the castle, he could make out the enormous snake-like form of Kalliel as he circled the castle before raising his head above the water and bellowing. He also could see three inky-black dots race away in the direction he was heading.

"Luigi, get out of here!" Windbag said. "Go to the princesses! I'll send someone to give you further instructions…" he said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Luigi noticed the traces of dark read in the ice of his arm.

"What happened…?"

"Don't worry about it, you have to get out of here, you and I both'll be in a world of trouble if we don't leave soon."

"…I don't understand what's going on!" He yelled. Magnus frowned, seeing the fear in his eyes.

"I will explain everything in full later!" He said firmly, turning him around and shoving him towards the door. "Go! You too, Mario!" He then turned to his Valdyr and the other Ulfr. "Valdyr, Hopa!!" He bellowed, raising his wand. He hurried forward, grabbed his axe, then joined General MacPherson and Sigurd as they joined the others in leaving the castle.

"Bro…what…?" Mario frowned in exhaustion as he turned to see the remaining shades descending upon them. Luigi grabbed him by the arm. "Come on!!" They both ran for the main doors after Luigi heaved the sword out of the floor where he had left it and jammed it into the scabbard on his back. "Mav!!" Luigi called as the boo appeared and chirped. "Fly ahead and find Pyewacket. I have a feeling Kalliel's getting ready to make things go 'Boom.'" Maverick warbled and gave a salute before scooting ahead.

They crashed through the doors and spied the massive blue dragon hovering high in the air above the castle.

"Mamma mia…" Mario breathed. The sound of heavy pounding feet sounded as Pyewacket skittered to a halt just in front of them, carrying Breaker, Hammer, and Marius on his back.

"Come on Weegie, gotta go!! Breaker said as Luigi and Mario both hopped on the blue dino's back.

"Come on, Pyewacket, let's go!" He said, gently gripping the feathery mane.

"Aye, sah!!" The winged yoshi sped away. They pelted through the darkened woods, the snow falling much harder than it was before. Pyewacket climbed to the top of the grassy knoll and halted as a roar and a thundering crash was heard. Everyone whipped around to see what looked like a geyser erupt from the castle. Innumerable hisses could be heard as small clouds of black shadow disappeared into the air. The dragon then took to the skies, shedding water as it flew. It crashed into the river and disappeared.

"Come on…" he nudged Pyewacket. "We're almost there."

* * *

They all dismounted in front of the mansion. Shivers was out there in a heartbeat, followed by Gadd and Nikolai. Luigi stopped in shock. "How did you all get out?"

"Ze Ulfr brought us," Nikolai said with a heavy sigh.

"Where's Kalliel?" Gadd queried.

"I…don't know…" Luigi said. Daisy and Peach appeared in the doorway. "Luigi!" She said with relief as she ran to him. Peach ran to Mario; the pair stood holding each other for quite some time.

"…" Luigi felt a hard lump appearing in his throat. So many casualties in one night. The fighting on the island was nothing compared to this. He felt hot tears fill his eyes and stream down his cheeks. The horrors he had witnessed, the sheer state of exhaustion his body was in, and Bowser…what had happened? He would give anything to have the old, annoying oaf back. He sank to his knees, Daisy still holding him. "It's all my fault…It's all my fault…"

"It isn't your fault, Luigi…" Peach said, wrapping her arms around his trembling shoulders. "Nobody anticipated this…"

"No…but I couldn't do much of anything…Your castle, Peach…I'm so sorry…I was powerless, I couldn't even defend myself, hardly."

"Luigi, you saved our lives," Daisy said, kissing him on the cheek.

"Yeah, Weege…" Hammer said, smiling reassuringly. "A bunch more people would've died if you hadn't tried to fight back." Luigi looked up at him with a tear-stained face.

"I don't care about the castle…" Peach said with finality. "We can rebuild it. It doesn't matter. What matters is we're all alive."

"Doesn't matter what any of 'em did, sonny… you sure showed them what's what!" Gadd said, raising a fist. Nikolai nodded in agreement, a smirk spreading across his face.

Luigi paused. He truly felt better. He still had everyone he cared about. He did what he could, and that was all that mattered.

_Seek me out…_Kalliel's voice sounded in his head. _Bring food and bedding, you are not safe there in the open, I will guide you to me…bring the others, we must discuss the future._

Luigi paused for a moment and smiled. _It's good to have you back, Kalliel…_

There came a chuckle in his mind. _It's good to be back, my friend._

In less than half an hour, thanks to Shivers, they had prepared a sack with enough food to last them through the evening and the next morning and had gathered enough extra blankets and sleeping rolls to make even a giant snowman warm. "Sorry, Pyewacket, I don't mean to use you as the proverbial 'Mule'…"

"No problem, Weegie…Pyewacket wanna prove his great strength!! No task to big for Pyewacket!!"

He ruffled the young reptile's mane. "Chief Osman would be proud." At this, Pyewacket's face lit up and he beamed.

"I weesh I could stay," Nikolai said, as Shivers brought Anya to him. Luigi decided not to question why the dark mare was there in the first place. "…However, I must locate King Vindbag. I wish you the best of luck, Luigi. I am hoping we shall meet again in the future, yes?"

"Yeah," Luigi said in exhaustion. "Godspeed, and a safe trip home, Professor…"

Nikolai nodded and nudged Anya. The pair disappeared into the forest and out of sight.

"Come on guys…" Luigi said, motioning for them. "We can't stay here."

Kalliel led Luigi to the edge of the river that seemed to flow from somewhere deep within the woods. For about ten minutes, they followed the river at a quick pace before it led them to the mouth of a large cave. The mouth sat behind a huge waterfall, and flowing out of its mouth was the source of the river and the castle moat. "I know this place!" Luigi said. "There's a spring in there! Come on," He motioned for the others to follow, leading them carefully around the waterfall and into the mouth of the cave.

They finally arrived in the final corridor that led to the belly of the cave. Inside, the entire crew gaped in amazement.

Kalliel sat with his front paws folded patiently and his tail submerged in the crystal clear waters of the spring.

"I am glad you all have come…" He spoke, his deep voice echoing around the massive cavern. The walls seemed lined with a pearly sheen that reflected the dull whitish-blue light emanating from the dragon and the pool. Kalliel's misty mane softly billowed from the back of his neck, seemingly weightless in appearance. Truly a majestic sight to behold. They all bowed out of respect and awe at the dragon. Pyewacket trembled slightly. He felt the size of an ant to the massive spirit.

Kalliel bowed his head in return before speaking. "Make yourselves as comfortable as you can. I'm afraid I am still recovering, as it is…"

Luigi and the others began spreading the sleeping rolls and bedding out on the cave floor before seating themselves. Shivers offered the group the bag of food and they all tore into it hungrily.

"I apologize, Princesses, I know this isn't the best place to house you…" The dragon spoke.

"It's alright," Peach said. She folded her hands and smiled sweetly at him. "Please, Master Kalliel…Luigi tells us that you have much to discuss."

"Indeed. I shall get right to the point. It is not safe for us to stay in this kingdom any longer, Luigi. Ridiculous as it may be, that arrest warrant was a legal document and although my power is rather extensive, I cannot merely will it away. Currently, our best choice would be to head to the Northlands beyond the mountains."

"Iceland…" Luigi muttered, slipping the singed surcoat over his head and undoing the top few buttons of the high-collared white shirt.

"Precisely. I'm still waiting for Windbag to send word. Once we hear from him, we shall act."

"What about the others?" Marius asked, bowing his head politely.

"…" Kalliel was silent as he thought. "Mario is safe, he is obviously not the target of Kamek's intentions, however…until the castle is rebuilt, I feel that Lady Peach will not be safe anywhere within the kingdom's borders."

"Perhaps she can stay with me, in Sarasaland," Daisy offered.

Kalliel thought. "An excellent idea." He smiled. He turned his attention back to Luigi. "I'm afraid I never thanked you properly, Luigi. If it hadn't been for you, I would have perished tonight."

"What do you mean?" Luigi queried, concerned.

"Had you waited any longer to toss that orb into the fountain and break the spell of mortality, I would have lost my life. I was dying when you summoned me. So…I thank you," Kalliel said, bowing his head.

Luigi paused in shocked silence. Kalliel had been dying? He thought back to seeing him bloody on the floor before he tossed the orb into the fountain and understood what the dragon meant. He nodded solemnly and stared at the ground.

"Pardon our intrusion…" A voice said from the mouth of the cavern.

"…But we come with a message from King Windbag."

"Randulf, Hrolf!" Luigi smiled as the twin wolves bowed, their white robes swishing about their legs. "I haven't seen you guys in forever!"

"Indeed, Excellency," Randulf said. "The last time we had received any new about you, it was that you had picked up the suit we had picked out from the tailor."

"Huh? How did you…?"

"Questions that don't need to be answered," Hrolf said.

"Lord Kalliel," Randulf called to the dragon.

"Windbag has given us the instructions regarding the young knight, however…" Hrolf started.

"…He wishes that the company gets a full night's rest beforehand…we have much to cover in a short amount of time," Randulf finished with a nod.

"…Very well…" Kalliel sighed and chuckled. "I am rather tired…"

"We shall guard the cave while you sleep," Hrolf said with a bow, "I shall take the first watch."

Luigi leaned back against Pyewacket as Daisy leaned against him and brought a blanket around them both. She wrapped her arms gingerly around him and leaned her head on his chest. Luigi smiled. Any time he could spend with her would be well worth it before he had to leave again…He looked around at the others; everyone had passed out within seconds. Even Kalliel was asleep, his head resting on his paws and his tail still beneath the water.

Though his head was swimming with curiosity at what would happen over the next few days, he decided that now would be the best time to sleep. His eyelids grew heavy as Maverick wormed his way under his arm and cooed. Luigi fell heavily asleep within a minute, relishing the fact that they were safe here, for now.


	36. For a Reason

A/N: I'm back from the rock I was trapped under!! Sorry this took so long, so it's UUBEEERRRR-LOOONG!! woot! And it's the end of Book II, Enjoy!

**Chapter 36:...For a Reason**

Luigi was the first to awaken the next morning. The cave was silent, save for the light breathing of his slumbering friends and the steady drip of water from somewhere across the room. He sighed. It had been a heavy, dreamless sleep, induced from pure exhaustion. As he stirred, he looked down onto the head of soft brown hair directly beneath his chin. Daisy still lay sleeping quietly with her arms around his waist and her head on his chest. All at once, the memories of the previous night came crashing back to him. He cringed painfully, and curled his arms around her tighter. She stirred as he buried his face in her hair.

"…Mmm…huh? Luigi?" She asked quietly as her large, blue eyes opened and groggily turned up to him. He smiled at her. "W…what time is it?" she asked as she laid her head back down on his chest.

"It is just after seven thirty," an ethereal voice said quietly from the pool. Daisy and Luigi glanced at each other before slowly clambering to their feet. They were both a little clumsy; shaking off the morning wobbles wasn't an easy thing. Gently holding each other by the hand, they paused at the edge of the water and peered in. It was glowing, but they couldn't see down to the bottom, it was so deep. The dragon was nowhere in sight.

"Kalliel?" Luigi asked cautiously, squeezing Daisy's hand protectively. Two amber-golden eyes opened and peered up at them from about ten feet below the surface. Luigi gave a panicked cry and tumbled backwards, taking Daisy with him. She gave a sharp, startled cry as she landed on top of him. There was a gentle surge of water as the liquid rearranged itself to form the great head of the Dragon. Kalliel blinked as he stared down at them in amusement. He chuckled, his deep, growling voice reverberating off of the walls. "Don't…Do that…" Luigi panted.

Daisy shook her head as Luigi helped her off of him. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better," She smiled.

"Yes, good as new, your majesty," He nodded as he swam towards them. "Still, that _was_ quite a beating that I took…"

"I'll say…" Luigi scoffed. Kalliel sighed solemnly. "Are the others awake yet?" Kalliel asked Luigi as the younger Mario brother turned and looked at the others.

"No…should I…?"

"No…leave them be for now, at least." There was a silence as Luigi's mind wandered. Kalliel stared down at him, and prodded his mind. "…You are worried…"

Luigi nodded. "I…I don't wanna leave…" he mumbled. "I…didn't want any of this…" Daisy gently squeezed his arm, but said nothing.

Kalliel stared sympathetically down at him. "I know…" He sighed. "I felt the same as you when I was thrust into my position. It all happens so fast." The dragon frowned. "…The most we can do is grin and bear it…You have always amazed me, Luigi. No matter the situation, you have always been able to find a way out unscathed…for the most part. I am confident that you will pull through this trial. Have faith, as I have placed mine in you."

He nodded sadly. "Yeah… guess there's not much I _can_ do…at least until this blows over…" A puzzled look contorted his face. "Kalliel?"

"Yes, child?" He replied as he swam back out to the middle of the pool.

"Why…erm, how did they get warrants for our arrest?" It was a question that burned in his mind.

Kalliel paused, thinking hard. "I know not…that is a question for Madame Clairvoya, I believe."

"Couldn't you just…eh, y'know, read their minds or something?" He shrugged, it was worth a try. "Find out why they wanted to do this."

Kalliel merely chuckled. "One does not need the gift of telepathy to see that." He paused as his golden eyes focused on his apprentice's face. "They want you out of the way, pure and simple. They wanted you out of the picture so Kamek could pave the way for his conquest." Kalliel chuckled darkly as he recalled the events of the past evening. "…They tried to take us both out…and came dangerously close to succeeding."

Luigi paused, feeling the hot lump appear in his throat again.

"…Do not fret," Kalliel said, stopping Luigi's thoughts before they could spiral out of control. "They failed miserably. We're still here, my boy! So long as we exist, everyone has a fighting chance, however to answer your initial question, in the event that they weren't able to dispose of us, they had those documents whipped up to ensure a legal binding rule against us. "…As it were…ehm…" His brow furrowed. "Stop thinking like that!" He sighed, gruffly. "Luigi, try to understand…" He called the young man's attention, his amber eyes locking gazes with Luigi's. "Do not dwell in the past. If it makes you feel any better, even when we are absent from the kingdom, there will be no more meaningless casualties."

Daisy turned her head to look at the others as they began to awaken and, giving Luigi's arm a final rub, left to sit with the others.

"Really?" Luigi asked hopefully.

"Really," Kalliel nodded. Luigi felt a wave of relief wash through him.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Really, really?"

"Really, really…" Kalliel said, flatly.

Hearing these basic words of reassurance made Luigi feel so much better, even if it was in jest. "Re-ACK!!" he began, but was silenced as Kalliel snorted, showering him with water. "Aww, ugh!" Luigi exclaimed as he shook the moisture from his hair. "Dude! That's like snot from you!"

Kalliel struggled in vain to suppress a chuckle. "It's only water."

"Yeah? Well I have _one_ thing to say to you, sir, and that's-"

"Begging your pardon, Excellency," Hrolf and Randulf said, approaching him with their unnaturally smooth gait. "…There was nothing to report as of last night. We believe that now would be the perfect time to leave."

"N-now?" he was instantly brought back to the here and now, along with the current predicament. He turned his gaze back to the others who were all waking up and looking around groggily. "K-Kalliel?" He stuttered, looking for the dragon for encouragement. He caught him just as he was finishing his transformation back into a human. He shook the excess water from his shaggy sable hair and goatee before turning his bright sapphire eyes to his distant cousin. "Nice to have you back, for real," Luigi said, trying to keep himself from panicking. This was the 'jumping off' point for him. Once he left, he wouldn't know how long he was going to be gone, what would happen in his absence, or if he'd even be able to come back at all.

"It's certainly nice to be back." He shook his hair once more before looking at the two bowing wolves. "If I were you, I'd take their advice to heart. I know it's a bit sudden and I know we've all had a busy twenty-four hours, but the safest time would be now. Kamek is weak and his forces took a damaging blow. The chances of us being attacked are slim…but that's not saying what Judges would do." He held out his hand, in which sat the glowing sapphire orb of energy that had released his spirit. Luigi took it back and sighed as it disappeared again.

"He really hates me now, huh?"

"Oh yeah…" Kalliel said lightly with a half-hearted chuckle. "I'm going to assume that you were the first prey he's never been able to take down. Not only that, but you left him with a few scars to remember that. See, I've been thinking...Judges' pride will be his ultimate downfall."

Luigi smirked as he thought. "Yeah…but we gotta figure out how we're going to apply that."

"Never fear…we'll have plenty of time to do that once we get to Iceland."

"Right…right…" Luigi turned to Hrolf and Randulf as they peered at him expectantly. "What were you saying?" He was curious, but his heart wasn't completely in it.

"We have already prepared your things for travel. Enough clothing, food, and various articles that should last you for your trip north." They both said serenely.

"Er…you make it sound like I'm going on foot…ehh…" He trailed off as they looked at each other and back at him. "We _are_ going on foot…aren't we?"

"Yes, my lord," Randulf confirmed.

"The trains will all be watched and there aren't any pipes that extend under the mountains. Even if you were to take pipes, the risk of you being picked off when you emerge is too great…" Hrolf finished.

Randulf nodded. "…Not to mention, Herr Ludwig has more than likely shut off access to all pipes to prevent further spreading of Darkland's forces."

Luigi thought in silence for several moments. "My lord," They started. "We would suggest you take your leave within the next few minutes." Luigi stared at them, his mouth slightly opened. "J-just…gimme some time to say goodbye to my friends and…Crud…" He rubbed his face. "I need to talk to Madame Clairvoya…"

They nodded. "Master…is there anything we may do to help?"

"Enough with the 'master' thing- oh…grr…" he was growing frustrated. Not with them, but with the whole situation. He didn't like being rushed, but he saw the truth in their words. "Sorry…" he sighed. "Please help get my things together. Talk to Pyewacket…nicely, and see if he could help with some of it."

They silently bowed and left the cavern. "I think…I need to see Clairvoya," Luigi said solemnly to Kalliel as the others, now fully awake, looked at him expectantly.

* * *

The borrowed body of Bowser had sustained a vast number of scrapes and bruises, but nothing too serious for natural healing to take care of. Kamek seated himself sorely on Bowser's throne growling deeply as he fumed. The three Manticores sat separated from each other, mainly as to avoid irking either Kamek or Judges. Grym frowned and turned his gaze back through the low window looking out over the lava fields. Loky plopped down with a small sigh.

"My feet are killing me…" he whimpered, almost silently. He heard an angered hiss from Judges and silenced himself. Tempers were certainly strained at the moment. Judges was lying with his great head on his paws, the mark on his right paw glowing brightly and the two pinpricks on his tail where Maverick had bitten him glowed equally as bright. The fact that his master's plan had failed had left them all sore, but the fact that this was the second time that Luigi had gotten away virtually unscathed was what made him furious.

Loky cast a quick, unseen glance at Judges before looking at Grym, who still sat with his head bowed against the far wall. He was looking at him out of the corner of his eye. Grym nodded and Loky got up.

Now that Bowser's body belonged to Kamek, it was much, much easier for his subjects to fear him, a fact which Loky kept fresh in his mind as he carefully approached him. He stopped at the base of the throne, very near the dragon's huge, scaly paw. Looking up with his amber eyes, he hoped that his master would see him. He was trembling too much for his voice to work properly. Kamek gripped the arms of the throne; Loky wincing as his claws carved small gashes into the ornate metal. He hadn't even seen Loky approach, his smoldering eyes focused on something in the distance behind the opened hall doors.

After a pained silence, Loky licked his lips, feeling his mouth begin to dry. He cleared his throat quietly, the sound magnified by the vast, empty hall. Kamek didn't acknowledge him.

"M-master?" Loky asked in a small voice, cringing.

"WHAT!?!!" Kamek's and Bowser's mixed voice bellowed.

"Gck…wh-what sh-should we d-do now?" He stammered, his tail tucking between his legs.

Kamek raised a paw, inciting a strangled squeak from the youngest Manticore. Kamek drew in a breath sharply before petting Loky a few times. "I need you and your brothers to go west again and follow him. Spy on him, eavesdrop…then kill him before he gets over the mountains…"

Loky felt an uneasy purr start as he continued to be petted. "Mountains?"

Kamek patted him twice on the head. Upon hearing this, the other two hauled themselves to their feet and watched their master intently.

"Yes…he's going north to Iceland. If we can…" He trailed off as a thought came into his head. A very sinister thought… "No…" He continued stroking Loky's mane. "No…I have a much better idea…" His voice faded into a dark cackle. "Go follow him, study him, watch him…then I need you to remind him of us before he's out of our reach. Let him know that we're still in the game." Judges bared his teeth. He was planning on doing more than just 'roughing him up', or 'reminding' him. "When you are done with that, go find more shards and fragments…We'll definitely need those…especially after earlier…" His last sentence was a guttural growl. "Nevertheless, my pets… It shall be something to keep you busy while we wait for our little friend to return. I think it's time we back him into a corner and finish him off there instead of taking the head-on approach."

"If you don't mind my asking, my lord," Grym queried, "but what exactly are you planning?" His mouth was twisting into an eager grin.

"We may be able to turn him…bring him into our employ…Much in the same way Bowser succumbed to the darkness…so will he…" His lips parted to reveal his set of teeth as he pulled a small black crystal shard from his spiked shell. "…Now, to pick the location, location, location…"

"We shall leave you to your plots," Judges said. "In the meantime, the tasks you have set need to be finished." He bowed and with a hard stare, rallied the other two Manticores.

"Just a minute, Judges…While you're out and about, add this to the laundry list," He paused as he thought. All three were somewhat relieved that he was in a better mood…if not an actual _good _mood. "I want you to go to a place called Twilight town…There's a Shape shifter there…See if you can't persuade him to join our cause. You shouldn't have any trouble."

They all silently nodded and turned to leave. Kamek gave a final chuckle as they exited the hall. "We may yet turn this in our favor…"

* * *

Madame Clairvoya gazed into her crystal ball, her delicate brow furrowed in confusion and frustration. "Confound it! Seven weeks just isn't enough time!" She sighed, sitting back in her chair.

"Well, do you see anything that could help?" Luigi asked, hopeful.

"If you mean your return, then no...Not within forty-nine days...But I do have some information that shall be most helpful. The missing attendant that was abducted isn't located within Darkland's borders." She waved her hands around the crystal ball again. "I'm sure when you get to Iceland King Windbag shall agree to help you look. From what I see, he is bound in a dungeon somewhere far beneath the mountains in the Eastern Ridge. The dungeon is damp...there must be a river or a lake above."

"Do you know the exact location?" Luigi asked, staring into the ball only to find a bunch of swirling blue mist.

She paused as she peered into the ball. "Nope...but good luck, though," She said cheerily, inciting a groan from Luigi. "Think of it as your first task...well, one of them..."

"Them?" He asked to verify her claim.

"Yes. Them." She waved her hand over the ball and invited him to look. Luigi saw a vast landscape roll out before him. He gasped slightly. It looked like he was seeing everything from a bird's eye view. The vast Northern Lowlands of Iceland stretched out for miles and miles. The Lowlands were aptly named. Far from the fringe of towering peaks that formed the southern border between Iceland and the rest of the kingdoms, it was mostly devoid of mountains. These were the great Ice fields, home to the huge, white-furred members of the Valdyr. Windbag had explained the differences before, but his description of the landscape didn't do it enough justice. Most of the landscape consisted of snow-blanketed, rolling hills that were covered in snow-covered fir trees, with small rocky outcroppings peppering here and there. As the vision in the ball sped forward, the vast snowy forests he seemed to be flying over gave way to snowy plains, where he could see large herds of caribou-like animals grazing on the sparse grass. The hills then opened up onto the flat and enormous ice fields that seemed to stretch on for oven farther than the forests or the tundra. They ended abruptly at the edge of a huge glacier, which formed the makeshift sea cliffs. The vision then went out a short ways into the sea, where it stopped before a large icy island. It was an enormous mountain of ice with a jagged tip and a small opening that led into a cavern.

"You see this, yes?" Clairvoya asked as she stared with him. Luigi nodded. "You see, in this cave lives the Ice spirit. Windbag will take you to him eventually. His power would be most effective against your enemies. While you are there, you must speak with the spirit. Train yourself...but overall, relax a little...think of it as, er, extended vacation."

"Vacation?" He asked with a chuckle. "...alright, I guess." He got to his feet. Clairvoya rose with him and placed her hands on his arms. "...Have heart. This will all be made clear. Not within seven weeks, but it will eventually. Now, my child...make haste. It's best that you do not draw attention to yourself any more than necessary. I'm truly sorry that our goodbye has to be so short, but we'll all be here waiting for your safe return." She kissed him on the forehead through her veil before vanishing.

"…" He was silent as he allowed himself a moment to gather his thoughts. He cleared his throat as he left the Fortune-teller's room and headed up to the main living room, where Shivers was standing with his boots, leggings, white shirt and surcoat in a neatly folded pile in his arms. He silently took them with a small smile and a nod before changing in one of the adjacent rooms. He walked out, still adjusting his belt, to find Kalliel, Gadd, and Marius standing in silence. Kalliel held his hands out, holding the large, two-handed sword. Luigi strapped it to his back with the help of his butler. Gadd offered him a small smile. "First thing I'm gonna do when we get there is pelt your ass with the biggest snowball I kin make," he gave him a wink. This made a smile creep up his face.

"Alright, you're on," Luigi smirked. Gadd laughed and grinned at him, "That's mah boy, now, c'mon, sonny. I've got everything all ready to go, we're just waiting on you."

Marius bit his lip and shifted his weight from foot to foot as he struggled with what he wanted to say. "L-Luigi!" He finally managed to choke out. His friend turned and smiled, "Yeah, what's wrong?" He asked, seeing the unsure panicked look on his face.

"I-I...Luigi…please! Can I come with you?!" He finally said, grimacing as he wrapped his arms around his chest.

Luigi looked at Kalliel, "Erm…Marius, I don't think it would be safe if you came… I don't want you to get hurt."

"Please!" He ejected. "Luigi, ever since you made me one of your…your, thingie, I've been able to remember! N-not much, but I _do_ know that I came from up north somewhere. Please, you gotta let me come with you! I can help, I-I won't be a burden, and I know I can-"

"Marius! Woah, woah, slow down!" Luigi said putting his arms up, the light from the windows glinting off of the metal plates of his gauntlets. He stared at him, a feeling of pity well in his chest. Marius clasped his hands and bowed his head.

"What did you see?" Kalliel finally asked.

Marius took a deep breath to calm himself, for he was quite flustered. "I saw mountains…and a lake…and a huge waterfall. I don't know what that was, but it's gotta be my home!" He was panting again. Luigi told him to breathe. "I know it's up north! There was snow on the tops of the mountains!"

Luigi's brow furrowed as he thought. Marius would be a valuable asset, and he knew that his best friend wouldn't be one to joke about this lightly. "Are you sure?" Marius looked at him with panic in his eyes. His shoulders were trembling. "Wh-wha?"

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Luigi repeated with concern, "You won't be able to see your family again for a while…Neither will I for that matter…" He said, glancing sideways.

Marius was silent. He didn't want to feel like he was abandoning his family. Especially Breaker and Hammer. "I know." He turned his doleful eyes to his friend. "Please, Luigi. I want to help you." He grew slight defiant. "You are helping me," he said with new strength in his voice. "I want to help you, I have a duty, you know!"

They all paused and looked at him. Gadd crossed his arms and smirked at him, raising an eyebrow. Marius gulped.

"If that's really what you want, then I guess I can't stop you," Luigi sighed before grinning widely. "Of course. I would be extremely grateful if you came with me." He chuckled, "It would make the journey more enjoyable, and I'd feel relieved if I knew I had someone else to watch my back."

Marius smiled, becoming slightly giddy from pure adrenaline. "I don't know what it is that I got myself into by accepting your offer to be a mage, but thanks for everything. I don't think I'd even be here now if it weren't for you."

"So you're saying that if you hadn't have met me, you could be just living a plain old boring life?"

"You got it…"

"Well, I guess everything happens for a reason, huh?" Luigi said with a smile.

Marius nodded, a grin spreading over his face. "Omnia Causa Fiunt." They were all heading out through the doors to the lawn. "Huh?" Luigi asked with a quirked eyebrow. "What's that mean?"

"It means that everything happens for a reason…" Marius replied as he watched Breaker and Hammer pelting each other with snow as Pyewacket nosed about in the snow for some grass. Randulf and Hrolf stood near the yoshi, their robes rippling in the chilly air slightly. Luigi mused to himself as he listened to the slight clinking made by the leather straps and scabbard against his back. "Omnia Causa Fiunt, huh? I like it."

"I think I'm gonna adopt that as my motto from here on out..." Marius chuckled. "I've seen enough to be thoroughly convinced of that."

Luigi looked and noticed that several saddlebags were attached to Pyewacket's back. "Oh man, are you sure you're gonna carry those?"

Pyewacket snorted as he looked up. "Yessah! Theezabags not as heavy as Pyewacket thought," he beamed. "Pah, Pyewacket much bigger and stronger, now. Great Warrior!" He straightened and thumped a paw to his well-muscled chest.

"I'll second that," Luigi confirmed. "You sure held your own and then some last night."

Pyewacket puffed his chest out with pride. Luigi eyed the numerous saddle bags, "Looks like you didn't pack that much."

"We know to pack, your Excellency," they replied. "You will not need much in the way of extra clothing, but there are a few heavy coats in one of the bags along with a few spare changes of clothes. It will be a long journey. We took the liberty of packing an adequate amount of bills and coins from your stock should you need to buy extra food or equipment."

"Waitaminute… how did you know where my stash was?" Luigi asked skeptically after a jolt of panic.

"Do not worry, my lord," Randulf said, "We know many things. Your riches are safe; we have no need of them." He flashed a toothy, but warm smile. "It is best if you say your goodbyes, now," He added, hastily.

Luigi was growing slightly irritated. "Yeah, yeah…I know." He saw where Mario and the Princesses were standing. "Listen, bro, I-"

Mario raised a hand and cut him off before seizing him in a grappling hug. "You don't need to explain. Just be sure you take care of _yourself_ and stop worrying about us. Don't worry, I'll make double sure these two are safe," He said, motioning to the princesses.

"Ever the big bro, huh?" Luigi chuckled as he returned the hug. He turned to Peach, who reached forward and embraced him tightly. "We'll miss you, Luigi," she said sweetly, her voice warm with care. Luigi stared at the ground, fearing that he would blush accidentally. Daisy, not about to be outdone by the other princess, ran forward and seized him in a tight bear hug.

"You better write…" She said. Her voice cracked slightly, betraying her sadness. Luigi gently squeezed her, inhaling the flowery scent from her hair. Maverick appeared out of thin air and warbled sadly as he begged for a hug from Daisy. She squealed as she pulled him to her and Luigi, "Aww, I'mma miss you, too…"

"I will, I promise…" He said in a low murmur. Suddenly, he didn't care about the future. All that mattered was this moment here. They parted, but not before Luigi gave her a small smile. He began to turn to leave, but she ran forward and planted her lips against his. He was at first shocked by the sudden action, but returned it promptly. Maverick stared for a moment before making a squeaking retching noise and sticking his tongue out in disgust. When he drew away, she muttered another goodbye to him before making his way to Pyewacket.

"You three ready?" He asked to Breaker, Hammer, and Marius. He was taking them home. He felt a small knot appear in his gut. This _may_ be the last time Marius saw anything of his old _home._ They nodded before hurrying after him as Pyewacket helped him up onto his back. Gadd hopped up and slid into a reclining position in an empty saddle bag, pulling out an old, wide-brimmed hat and placing it on his head. The other three Hammer Bros. hopped up on the blue dino's back. Luigi leaned forward slightly, gripping Pyewacket's mane. Maverick appeared next to his head, lowering the set of welding goggles over his sanguine eyes.

"Alright…" He sighed, staring out through the clearing into the distance. "Let's go." Pyewacket crouched slightly before taking off at a wild sprint. Luigi turned and looked back over his shoulder and waved. Cries of "Good Luck!!" Met his ears. He stared back at the rapidly diminishing house as they sped along. He leaned forward slightly to give himself and Pyewacket better control of their speed.

"Off to see da wizard!!" Breaker hollered over his shoulder. Maverick let out a doggish howl as he followed them, letting his tongue hang out in the wind as he flew.

Trees flew past them which finally opened up onto the snowy countryside of the Mushroom Kingdom. Luigi looked at Pyewacket and looked around at how fast they were going. Pyewacket had only been the size of an average yoshi when they had first met. Now, he stood almost six feet at the shoulder and with his posture perfectly straight, he towered over Luigi. His gait had also become much, much smoother, and far more powerful. This kind of rapid movement seemed to be an effortless act to him. More and more, Luigi noted, did he begin to look like his father. Osman would have been very proud if he could see how strong his son truly was. His mane fluttered in the breeze. To Luigi, it looked like living flame. His large, snowy-white wings were carefully folded against his sides, the feathers ruffling in the breeze as they hurried on. Luigi carefully steered him clear of certain obstacles and turned him slightly as they neared a fringe of trees; just beyond laid the Mucavele residence. Pyewacket's nostrils flared as he sensed Luigi's anticipation and he increased his speed.

"Pyewacket, woah! Slow down a bit…" Luigi said as he gripped the fiery mane.

"Ho there, son!" Gadd called, keeping one hand on his hat and the other gripping a leather strap on the side of his bag. Breaker and Hammer cheered and whooped out of amusement, while Marius gripped onto the back of Luigi's surcoat for support. "Where's the fire, eh?!" Gadd called.

"Slow down! We're here!" Luigi called gripping to his steed for dear life. Pyewacket abruptly slowed and skidded to a halt in the thin layer of snow. He panted, his nostrils flaring with his breath coming out in small clouds of moisture. Luigi and the hammer bros. hopped down while Gadd disappeared into the saddle bag for a brief moment before popping back out with a parka for himself. "I'll just be a minute," Luigi said as Gadd snuggled down into the bag. Maverick followed silently behind them as he lifted the goggles from his eyes.

Breaker and Hammer ran past Luigi, throwing the gate open and heading for the front door. "Mama!" They called. Ms. Mucavele was there in an instant, her had at her heart. "Oh, than the stars! When I heard about the palace, I grew so worried about you four!" She embraced Breaker and Hammer. Marius stood back by Luigi, staring at the ground. He took a deep breath and walked forward. "Well, come in out of the cold," she called, beckoning to Marius and Luigi.

Luigi politely declined. "Thank you…but I'm afraid I'll need to be heading out very soon." Marius looked at her for a moment. He swallowed.

"Alright," she said slowly while staring at Marius and Luigi, suspecting something as she ushered Hammer and Breaker inside.

"M-mom…" Marius said quietly, it pained him to say that word. She had been his mother for the past twelve years or so. "I'm going with him."

Ms. Mucavele stared at him in shock. A long pause followed as she bit her lip. Hammer and Breaker were behind her in an instant, staring at him. "What?!" Breaker exclaimed. "You can't just leave!"

"I have to…" He said with resignation, his shoulders drooping slightly.

"No, you don't _have _to!" Hammer said suddenly. "It's bad enough we're losing a friend…Why do we have to lose a brother?!" Hammers words cut into him and his eyes suddenly welled with tears. Luigi made to move forward, but Kalliel appeared behind him and held him back with a firm hand on his shoulder. Maverick trilled lowly with concern as Luigi placed a hand on him.

"That's enough!" Ms. Mucavele said firmly. "…It doesn't help that we're all a little tense and overly-tired…" Marius fought to control the painful lump in his throat. His shoulders shook slightly as a tear slid down his scaly cheek. "I'm sorry…" He whispered. "Please don't hate me…I'm not abandoning you guys, honest…" He looked up at his two surrogate brothers; his large brown eyes were wet with tears. "I can't explain it to you now…but my place is with Luigi…"

Breaker and Hammer sniffed. "Your place is here with us…" Breaker said, his voice cracking. Marius looked at him, then Hammer, whose expression was an exact copy of Breaker's sorrowful look. "Hey, c'mon, don't be like that." He tried to chuckle, "I gotta save the world."

Reaching out with her hands, Ms. Mucavele gently took his face in them. "I didn't want to believe this day would come anytime soon…" She gently kissed his forehead. In the pause, she had pondered arguing with him. In the end, she decided to let it go. "You're still my son, no matter what, do you hear me? I'm not going to try and stop you."

He smiled as he nodded. "Mother…" He breathed as he embraced her in a tight hug. The twins stared at Luigi. "We're coming too, right?"

Luigi grimaced with guilt and shook his head. "I'm sorry, guys, but I need you to stay here. Guard everyone in your bro's absence. You guys have to be the heroes now."

Their smiles drooped, but perked up when they heard the word 'Heroes.' "So, I guess this means the cup's off, huh?" Hammer asked.

"Sweetie, I think all sports are gonna be on hold until all of this cools down," the motherly beaked koopa said. She turned to Marius. "I'll help you pack your things."

"That doesn't mean you guys slack off on your practicing," Luigi said wagging his finger at them. "Marius and I will be practicing. You better be better than us when we come back."

"You're on!!" They both shouted.

Ms. Mucavele sighed again. "When will you be back?"

Gadd struggled to get out of his awkward reclining position in the saddle bag, "Madam, I-…oh bugger, Luigi? Help me!" he grunted. Luigi helped the professor out of the bag. Gadd pulled his parka tighter around him as he approached her. "If we don't have too much trouble, something tells me sometime next spring."

"It's November now…so, anywhere around five to six months…?"

"Possibly," the small, old man said. Maverick cooed sympathetically as he floated over and chirped at Breaker and Hammer's mother. She smiled and patted him on the head.

"Homie! You'll come back and say hi, won't you?" Breaker asked with a goofy smile. Maverick gave a sharp salute and a bark.

Several long minutes later, they had a small bag of Marius' things. Ms. Mucavele gave her surrogate son one last peck and a tearful goodbye before they made their way back to Pyewacket. Maverick was trying to help Gadd get back into the saddlebag, but had managed to loose his grip on the old man's jacket, so he had him by the foot. "Ow, Ah! Mav, put me down gently…quickly please…all the blood's goin' to my head." Maverick chirped before dropping him into the open bag. Gadd looked at him flatly, "thanks…"

Marius loaded his things as Luigi got up onto Pyewacket, who still had his shoulders and head down as if he were rooting for something. Marius looked curiously as he zipped up his jacket. He saw him take in a huge mouthful of snow and gulp it down. "Pyewacket? Are you alright?"

Pyewacket snapped his head around. "Huh? Ah, yessah…Pyewacket good…itchy throat," he grimaced, pointing at his throat. Luigi looked at him with a quirked eyebrow before fishing through one of the bags and pulling out a long, green scarf, which he promptly tied around the dino's neck. "Don't want you getting a sore throat, but maybe we should take it easy, okay? No rush."

Pyewacket rubbed at his throat and winced before nodding. It wasn't a sore throat, more like a strange feeling along the lines of indigestion in his stomach, but his throat was beginning to burn like he had swallowed something hot. Marius hopped up with Maverick's help and with a final wave to his family, Luigi patted Pyewacket's shoulder and they were off at a brisk trot. "I'll come back, I promise!!" Marius called one last time as Breaker and Hammer ran to the middle of the snow-covered road and waved, shouting things that could no longer be heard. Marius watched them shrink into the distance. It had been an extremely hasty goodbye, but they had a lot of ground to cover. When he could no longer see them, he turned around and wrapped a scarf his 'mother' had given him tightly around his neck. Luigi looked back, "you still wanna do this?"

He nodded. "Yeah. It's not like we can really turn back now." He was silent afterwards, so Luigi decided to drop it. Pyewacket carried on at a steady pace, relishing the feeling of traveling again.

"Luigi!! Oi!" Gadd called, lifting the flap from his little 'pouch.' "Travel until it starts getting' dark. Then find somewhere to park yer carcass…Preferably somewhere we can make shelter, I got a feelin' in my old bones that there's a storm coming."

"Oh…fun…"

"Not a blizzard," Kalliel said appearing next to the trotting yoshi, his legs had disappeared again, giving him back the ghostly appearance. "…a thunderstorm. We should leave the Mushroom kingdom by nightfall. We'll be in the grasslands and it's the rainy season."

Luigi nodded and bent his head lower to lessen the drag from the wind. The day passed by rather quickly with few stops, though Pyewacket grew somewhat annoyed when Luigi firmly insisted that they all walked on their own feet for a few hours. He had merely snorted and said something along the lines of "…it's wastin' time…"

Luigi sighed as he stared into the sky, watching the clouds as they gathered overhead. Gadd walked briskly behind him, his small stature did not allow for a loping gait like Luigi or Pyewacket. "Well, one thing's for certain, Pyewacket, we're going to start teaching you proper English."

The former prince snorted again, "Why? Pyewacket speak gooda eeengleesh as anybeast…" He frowned as he eyed Luigi skeptical look. They were all a bit cross that day. Few hours of good sleep coupled with the traveling time they had to face didn't make for the best of moods. Pyewacket rubbed his throat again. "Weegee…we rest, ya? Pyewacket very thirsty." Luigi looked back up to the sky. "Yeah, we've got time." They looked for a suitable place to stop. Luckily, there was a small grove of densely packed trees about an hour north of where they were, so when they happened upon it, they all agreed to go ahead and stop early for the night.

"Best to find somewhere safe now than to wait 'till later and be S-O-L…" Gadd chuckled as he pointed at the ground, signaling for Pyewacket to lower himself so he could get the bags off of him. Pyewacket fairly flopped to the ground. "Uh-oh, you okay? Not getting burned out already are you?" He chuckled at Pyewacket's sudden angered look.

"Notta get tired!!" He winced as he heard his stomach gurgle very audibly.

"Oh-ho…you're just hungry…" Luigi laughed, flinching when his own stomach growled. A loud belch suddenly startled everyone. Pyewacket then stood, feeling much better. Gadd sniffed the air, "Phew…is something burning? Smells like burnt wiring…" Pyewacket sheepishly grinned.

They had camp set up in a few minutes thanks to the extra pair of hands that Marius lent. As Luigi finished stacking up some dry wood for the fire, Marius smiled, "allow me, please." He rubbed his hands together, then pointed at the pile, which ignited as a spark of flame jumped to it from his outstretched finger. Luigi smiled at the warm red glow. "You're getting good." Pyewacket left to graze and forage while Luigi and Kalliel helped Gadd go through the bags and check their inventory. Gadd was beside himself with glee as he pulled out a map of the entire continent with a trail marked in charcoal pencil leading from the mansion to the Isskastali in Iceland. Small spots were already marked.

"See, I guess they wanted us to make stops here, here, and here," Gadd said, pointing to the spots on the map. Luigi made a tally of everything as he listened.

"We'll need to restock on food…that's probably why they packed so much money…"

"Hey, travel light and get it as you go, sonny, it's a smart move."

"I'll say," Luigi whole-heartedly agreed. He pulled out a loaf of bread and some tins of spaghetti, which the three hungrily dug into. Luigi ripped off a large chunk of the bread and handed to it Maverick, who proceeded to gnaw on it, sending breadcrumbs flying everywhere. Pyewacket trotted back after a short time with news that he had found a small river. He then disappeared again to go get a long drink.

When he reached its banks, he stared long at hard into the crystal clear water, examining his reflection. The stream was slow-moving, allowing him to see his entire face perfectly. He was surprised. His face was much more angular than he had remembered. He smirked. Those 'Black-beasts' would get what was coming to them soon enough. He felt and looked so much stronger than he had been on the island. The burning in his chest and stomach wrenched his thoughts away from his reflection.

He plunged his muzzle into the icy-cold, clear water and drank deeply. He coughed and sputtered, feeling a strange bubbling in his stomach. He coughed again and a small plume of steam escaped from his nostrils. He burped, wrinkling his nose as he smelled the acrid tang of heat in his breath. The water seemed to work and now that his upset stomach was gone, he drank to sooth his burning throat.

When he had enough, he made his way back to camp and lay down next to Luigi. The man turned and stared at him for a few seconds as the dino's eyes slowly closed into an uncomfortable grimace.

Gadd noted this. "See? Told ya we should've taken it easy," he said, digging through one of the saddlebags. He pulled a small pouch filled with various medicines and pulled out a large bottle of flavored antacids. He looked at Pyewacket, sizing him up and dumped roughly a quarter of the bottle in his hand. He got up and went to him. "Open up," he ordered. Pyewacket stared at him for a moment and slowly opened his mouth. Gadd tossed the fruit-flavored tablets into his mouth. He swallowed and sighed. It actually seemed to be working. With the pain in his gut rapidly diminishing, he fell into his slumber. Gadd continued to grope through the bag, pulling odds and ends out. Gadd continued to study the map. "They marked the quickest, safest route, it seems." He spoke more to himself than to anyone else.

"Y'know? Now that we're actually on our way…it doesn't seem so bad anymore," Marius said as he dug through his own bag and pulled out a small leather-bound book and an ink pen.

"Naw, heheh," Gadd chuckled, playing with the brim of his hat. "I think this'll be quite an adventure."

"Yep…" Luigi sighed. "At least this time, we'll be staying with friends."

It was a relief to them all. When they had arrived on Isla Tortuga earlier in the year, the air had been rather hostile the entire time through, and the welcoming committee wasn't exactly welcoming. This time, there would be plenty of allies, enough protection, and friends he knew who would make the time spent away much better. Sure, it wasn't going to be the same without Breaker and Hammer, but it was better that they stayed behind. Iceland was a long way away, and anything could happen between now and the time they arrived. Marius began writing in his journal.

"What'cha writin' 'bout?" Luigi asked playfully, trying to slyly peek over his friend's shoulder.

"Hey, this is private!" Marius chided. He grinned though. "I'm gonna keep a record of my travels. When this is all done, it might make a good story to tell my kids."

"Speakin' of kids…shoot, Luigi, when are you plannin' on settling down?" Gadd asked casually.

"Believe me; I'm working on it…" He said sorely. He had come rather close to proposing, had it not been for the sudden…and unwanted interference.

"Oh, Psh…" Gadd scoffed, crossing his arms. "…I'm sure you two have…" He faded and chuckled, giving him a sly wink. Luigi stared at him for a second before his face flushed crimson.

"What?! No! No, we haven't-…That's not what I meant!"

Marius slowly placed his hands on top of each other and wiggled his thumbs. "…Awkward Turtle…"

"Kalliel!" Luigi said when he caught him with his hand against his face chuckling. He sat in stunned silence for a moment while Gadd laughed. He stared flatly at him. "Got your jollies, yet?"

"Oh, I did…I did…" Gadd chuckled. His face hardened slightly. "Mav, what did I say about scratching?" Maverick stopped what he was doing and lowered his goggles over his forehead.

"Maybe we should look at it," Marius suggested as he finished writing his journal entry.

Gadd grumbled as he rolled out his sleeping bag, "'S too dark. I'll take a look in the mornin' when there's more light out. My eyes ain't worth a crap in the dark." He pulled out his crossbolt; the arms folded in, and set it against the tree near his bag. "Right now, we need sleep. _Proper_ sleep. Don't give me any lip; we haven't had any _rest_ yet."

"Yeah," Luigi said with a yawn. He and Marius rolled out their sleeping bags. "Best go on foot tomorrow if we don't want to wear Pyewacket out."

"We'll see tomorrow," Kalliel said solemnly, "You know as well as I that he won't be happy if you insist that."

"Well, with his stomach acting up like it is, I'm not taking any chances," Luigi said firmly as he settled in. "You think it could've been something he ate?"

"Dunno…" Gadd mumbled. "We'll keep an eye on it. Important thing right now is that we all make it to Iceland in one piece, and promptly. It wouldn't be nice to keep old man Windbag waiting, y'know."

Luigi chuckled. He was looking forward to seeing Windbag immensely. He was like family to him, and it would be all for the better, for he knew that Windbag would be more than happy to enlighten him on certain subjects. He sighed as he lay on his back and stared up at the tops of the trees. He let his mind wander over exactly how he had gotten himself into this mess. After a while, he gave up. He couldn't rightly remember.

He sighed as Maverick came and snuggled up to him like an overgrown puppy. He patted him gently on the head. "Got a big day ahead of us."

Maverick warbled.

Luigi chuckled after a few moments. "Scratch that…got a big…_while_ ahead of us."

* * *

End of Book II...


	37. Day's Eye

A/N: Lookie, lookie, another booky! Right-o, book 3 starts, now! Actually, in all seriousness, I'd like to say that this story is coming along quite far, to be honest, I didn't expect it to be this long, but it looks like I'm going to end it far beyond three parts like I originally thought. So, as far as I'm concerned, I'll write until everything that needs to be done is done. This one will be a bit short, though. It's transition stuff.

* * *

**Chapter 37: Day's Eye**

Luigi shook his head in agitation as he tied a length of rope to a thin acacia-like tree. Two weeks had passed since He, Kalliel, Pyewacket, Gadd, Maverick and Marius had left home and once again, they found themselves stopping their trek in the middle of the day to recover from a sudden rainstorm. Kalliel had warned that since it was winter in the rest of the kingdom, the grasslands would be in their wet season. He had taken great care to explain that the ocean currents were what made the climate here warmer than in the mushroom kingdom despite the fact that the expansive savannas were farther north.

Marius shook out the bags while Maverick helped unfold the wet clothes. Luigi walked over and picked through some things. "Is there anything like a pole or something we can tie this to?"

"Nah," Marius sighed. He raised an eyebrow as Luigi wandered back over and untied his scabbard from the saddle ring. "Um…Luigi? Isn't that your sword?"

"Yep. It's a really nice sword, y'know, and it's gonna be a really nice clothesline pole," he gave a wide grin as Kalliel clapped a hand to his forehead. "Something my bro and I found out is, rule number one of being a hero: make it up as you go."

Gadd chuckled. "Whatever floats yer boat, kiddo."

Luigi smiled to himself as he tied the loose end of his clothesline to the hilt of the sword and stuck the pointed blade into the earth. He wiped a few beads of sweat from his brow. The winds blowing from the southeast were dry and hot, bringing the heat of the distant deserts. Luigi had long abandoned the heavy coats, surcoats, and other layers in favor of a regular green tank top and shorts. Everyone else had followed suit in a similar manner. It was too hot on the plains for winter coats and even Kalliel's armor and surcoat had vanished.

"Phew…" Gadd sighed as he wiped his brow. He looked up into the clear blue sky directly overhead, watching as the last vestiges of the rain shower were disappearing into the hazy distance.

Pyewacket ruffled his feathers and mane and stretched, enjoying the warmth. Lately, his stomach hadn't been bothering him as badly. Over the past few days there had been a few spikes accompanied by noxious belches, but other than that, it was fine. He snorted and yawned.

Luigi glanced at the wide-opened mouth facing in his direction before doing a small double-take. "Hang on a sec, Pyewacket…" He wandered over curiously as Pyewacket kept his face frozen in a yawn. "Can you open a little wider for me?"

The dino nodded and opened his jowls a bit wider, showing off his set of pearly, and razor-sharp, teeth. Luigi peered into the back of his throat. The inside was shiny, almost glossy. "Hey, professor, come and take a look at this, tell me what you think."

Gadd trotted over and motioned for the yoshi to lower his head to grant him a better look. He adjusted his glasses. "Well…that ain't somethin' I've ever seen before…" Pyewacket's warm breath rapidly fogged up his lenses. He removed them and adjusted the brim of his sun hat. "His throat looks like it's coated in glaze."

"Glaze?" Marius asked curiously.

"Yeah, y'know, like potter's glaze?" He cleaned his glasses on his t-shit and replaced them on his face. "It's kind of weird though. Now, I ain't no yoshi expert, but I don't think reptiles exactly get acid reflux, if you get my meaning." Maverick joined them as Kalliel reclined in thin air as if on an invisible hammock near the tree. "Son, you can close your mouth now," Gadd said to Pyewacket. All five of them stared at the yoshi prince as he smiled crookedly and closed his mouth.

Marius finished dumping out his bag, setting his things out to dry as he pulled out his journal and thumbed through a few pages. Luckily, none held even the slightest hint of moisture. He hummed quietly to himself as he popped the cap off of his pen and wrote a few lines.

Now that Luigi had most of camp already set up, the party found themselves with plenty of siesta time. Pyewacket set about grazing on huge mouthfuls of the long, dry grass to help clear a space in and around the impromptu campsite. Gadd leaned against the tree beneath Kalliel and pulled his sunhat down over his eyes while Luigi sat staring off into the distance.

The mountains seemed to get bigger and bigger every day, yet at the same time, Luigi felt like they were never going to get there at the pace they were going. "Are we there yet?"

"Will be soon, son," Gadd said as he pulled out the map and unrolled it. He drew a circle with his finger. "We're somewhere here…"

* * *

Sigurd snuffled as a bit of dust flew up his nostrils, spurred on by the lifting breeze. He sat on the steep face of the mountains, looking out towards the grasslands. At the border, upon his majesty's return to Iceland, Windbag had instructed him to stay and watch for Luigi and the others. The huge, snow-furred wolf sneezed again, shaking the main of thick, long fur around his neck.

The wind stirred again, bringing with it a new smell. A smell that caused Sigurd's fur to stand on end and a growl to tear from his enormous chest. In his field of vision, he spied three clouds of rapidly-moving dust. Within a second, he crouched and sprang from his perch, baring his teeth as he ran on all fours in the direction of the clouds.

* * *

"Well, I must say this all worked out rather nicely," Kalliel said as he helped Marius, Maverick, and Luigi spread out their sleeping rolls in the clearing that Pyewacket had made in the tall grass. Gadd was busy trying to light some things to get a fire going. Maverick warbled, zooming in a circle around Kalliel.

"Yeah, beats having to sleep _in_ a sea of grass," Marius chuckled as he set up his tent. The tents had been set up, but they all knew that there was little chance that they would be using them tonight. Luigi stood and stretched, relishing the feeling of the late afternoon sun bearing down on his back. He sighed, placing his hands on his hips and staring out at the landscape that seemed to stretch on forever. "Get out and travel…See the world…y'know, this might not be so bad after all, if we get to see things like this, I mean."

"There ya' go," Gadd grinned, "'S a good attitude to have, son." He whistled as he looked in the direction that Luigi was staring. "Honey hush…" He chuckled. The view seemed to stretch out for miles. They had made camp on the summit of one of the many rolling hills which allowed them an excellent vantage point of the endless stretch of gently rolling hills and golden-green waves of grass. An acacia tree sprouted up out of the waving carpet of grass every now and then, but other than that, the horizon remained unbroken. Several old blocks floated in the air, some already claimed, the others glittering in the savanna sun. The grasshoppers and cicadas hummed in the air as Marius spied the floating '!' block nearby.

"Hey, cool!" He ran over to it. "I always wanted to try this," he looked back at Luigi. "Um…can I?"

"Of course," Luigi said, "Why wouldn't I let you?"

Marius smiled, "Just making sure." He looked up, crouched and jumped up and smacked it with his head. It made a resounding BONK and ejected a bright red and white mushroom.

"Well, technically, we used our fists, but I guess that works too," Luigi smiled, catching the mushroom as it sailed through the air.

"Well, my species has harder heads than yours," Marius said with a grin, knocking on his helmet with his fist.

"Hey, you said it, not me." A loud belch came from behind them as Pyewacket slowly lowered himself to the ground.

"Uh-oh, it starts again…" Gadd muttered, pulling out the almost-empty bottle of antacids. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're gonna start belching flame in a few minutes. Pyewacket stared at him dolefully as Gadd poured a small handful of the tablets into his hand.

"That'd be pretty cool," Marius mused. "Sucks that it's hurting you so much, though." Pyewacket swallowed the tablets as Maverick rubbed his mane. There was a sudden heavy sound behind them followed by a crescendoing growl. Kalliel whipped around, gritting his teeth, stiffening. "Judg-!" He faltered as he saw the white fur and piercing red eyes of Sigurd as he perched on top of the now-empty '!' block.

"Hey! Sigurd! Boy am I glad…to see…you…" Luigi trailed off as he saw the fierce glare and furious snarl upon the wolfish face. He seemed to be staring right at them. Maverick lowered his eyebrows and frowned, sniffing the air.

_What's wrong?! _Luigi frantically thought. He felt a sudden shiver begin as the Valdyr's lips curled even further back over his teeth. _Why is he growling at us?!_

Kalliel paused, looking on as Maverick slowly bared his teeth, pivoting around as he did so. He looked at Sigurd, then back at Maverick. _He's not glaring at us…_he said slowly with realization. In a flash, he ripped the great sword from the ground, disrupting the laundry as Luigi whipped out the Key and spun to face Loky, Judges, and Grym. With the boo and the Valdyr snarling, and both blades pointing, Luigi stiffened; they should have realized that they were outnumbered, especially since Gadd had now joined them with his cross-bolt. What surprised them even more was that they made no movement to attack, or do anything for that matter. The only movement came from the smoke at their feet and the slight undulation of the tentacles sprouting from their shoulders.

There was an awkward silence, broken only slightly by Sigurd's angry growling.

Grym sighed. "…Hi…"

Kalliel's eyebrows leveled and he bared his teeth, hissing impatiently through them. "What do you want now?"

"Chill…jeez…" Loky grumbled. Judges twitched slightly. So close to the ones he wanted to kill the most…yet he could not. "We're passin' through…"

Luigi shook his head in confusion. "I don't get it…"

"Yer not s'posed to…" Loky retorted.

"Shut up…" Gadd rolled his eyes. "We ain't got time fer none of yer crap…now whaddaya want?"

"Why didn't you get us when you had the chance?" Luigi asked cautiously.

"We're not here to kill you…merely to deliver a message," Grym said slowly. "Kamek wants you to live, for the time being."

"Really, I coulda guessed that…" Gadd scoffed.

"We were coming to rough ya' up…but Windbag's little blood-hound gave us away," Loky snickered. Grym stared flatly down at him. "Eh…what?"

"Could you be any _more_ conspicuous?" Grym sighed, shaking his head. "We're not going anywhere yet…we'll be patient until you return," Grym said softly, as Judges furiously snarled, itching for the chance to pounce. A loud growl from Sigurd reminded him of his composure. "Kamek wants you alive…for the time being," Grym continued. "…And we have been ordered not to lay so much as a single paw on you…" He grinned wickedly. "Like it or not, the master's plan involves you. Choose your actions wisely, Luigi. You may actually be helping us if you aren't careful. One slip and you could end up the same way as Bowser had…Now if you'll excuse us, we have business in Rougeport." He gave a smirk as he and his brothers turned and bolted away, continuing their trek west towards Rougeport.

"Why are they heading to Rougeport?" Luigi asked as Sigurd nimbly leapt from his perch and trotted over to them, a look of concern masking his features.

"I dunno…I'm hoping it's only because they are after Shards and Fragments," Kalliel sighed. "Their thoughts are unknown to me. They are Kamek's errand-boys."

"Shouldn't we go after them?" Marius asked, gripping the handles of his marble hammers.

Sigurd growled lowly as he shook his head. "Sigurd's right, we need to get to Iceland before anything else happens. With our luck, they were probably just trying to get us to follow them. They might not be doing anything," Luigi said with a heavy sigh as he slid the silver dagger back into its sheath.

"Alright…" Marius said, uneasily lowering his stance. Maverick patted him on the head.

"Besides, I think they know that they would be terribly outnumbered if they _did_ try and attack," Kalliel said with confidence. Gadd shouldered the cross-bolt. "Alright, alright, look," he said as he wiped his face. "There's no point in getting stressed out about it now, let's just enjoy the rest of the day."

"I dunno if I'll be able to now…" Luigi said worriedly. "What did he mean by 'I would help him if I wasn't careful?'" His mind was racing and he began to sweat bullets.

"Luigi!" Gadd said sternly. "Pull yerself together, lad. He said _if you weren't careful_." He smirked. "We're being careful," he winked. "You've got all of us plus all of Iceland watching your back. Nothing's gonna happen."

Luigi paused, feeling the uneasy knot in his stomach unravel and dissipate. Kalliel smiled at him and Marius gave him lighthearted thumbs up. "Y-yeah…" he said, relaxing. "You're right." Right now, he just wanted to see Windbag's grizzled, friendly face.

Time passed leisurely for the rest of the afternoon. The clear blue of the day faded into the rosy haze of late afternoon and finally to the deep hues of blue, pink and purple as evening descended and the sun dipped below the horizon. The golden-orange rays set the gold grasses aflame with color, made all the more so as the breeze gently blew them, causing the light to ripple and dance. Luigi sat on the top of their hill just outside of the campsite with his legs drawn gently against his torso, his chin on his knees. He held a tiny white flower between his thumb and forefinger of his right hand, gently twirling it. He looked over his shoulder and smiled at the others around the campfire.

Sigurd and Maverick busied themselves with helping to prepare the evening meal as Gadd sat fiddling with one of his contraptions while Kalliel and Marius shared a conversation. Pyewacket seemed content as he grazed in the long grass near the edge of camp. Despite the disturbance from earlier, it almost seemed like things were relatively normal. No fear. No worries. The stars were beginning to poke through the darkening sky.

He turned his attention back to the small prairie flower in his hand, admiring the tiny white petals and how they framed the simple yellow center. A single, tiny daisy.

"Oh! Dees-a field reminding Pyewacket of home!" Pyewacket chirped happily, startling Luigi, who placed a hand over his heart.

"Hmm, still thinking about home?" Luigi asked as Pyewacket folded his long, muscular legs beneath him and fluttered his wings.

"A little…But Pyewacket great warriah! Nottafraid!"

Luigi raised an eyebrow, "Not to be a prude, but haven't we been on you about grammar?"

Pyewacket winced. "Ehh…I _has_ to be a great warriah."

"Close…S'mon, one more shot."

"…_I have _to be a great warriah…"

"Perfect," Luigi said, ruffling his mane. "Y'know," he said thoughtfully, "you sound exactly like your father." Pyewacket's face lit up ecstatically. When his English was cleanly spoken, the strong island accent came out in his voice. Pyewacket was much more pleased with the fact that he was becoming more like his father. He grinned for a moment, but his smile drooped. "What's wrong?" Luigi asked with concern.

Pyewacket shook his head sadly. "Me-eh…_I_ can't go back-a to island…exiled…." He said heavily. Luigi looked at him with sympathy. "So you miss it, huh? Your home?"

"Yah…"

"If it makes you feel better, I really miss my old home too…sometimes, though," Luigi said, looking back out over the prairie. Pyewacket cocked his head. "Where Weegie from?"

"Well…my brother and I are from this world, but when we were really little, we were sent far, far away to another land so we could be safe…"

"Which-a land? Where?" Pyewacket asked eagerly, impatient for answers.

"Well," Luigi scratched his head, removing his hat, "It's kinda weird…to explain. It was a place called 'Brooklyn.'"

Pyewacket stared curiously, "Brook…leen?" He shook his head. "Me nevah heard about brookleen…then again…Pyewacket norra heard about many places before now…"

"Yeah." Luigi was quiet as he thought back to his past. "It was like a giant forest of concrete and steel. Kind of like Toad Town, only without as many mushrooms," he chuckled, trying to put it in a scenario the prince would relate to. Pyewacket thought wondrously. A giant forest of stone and steel? He had only seen the outside of Toad Town, but to be amongst the skyscrapers must be something extraordinary. Pyewacket cocked his head at his friend as Luigi sat in silence, smiling as he thought back to his old life.

"Weegee miss it?"

Luigi looked at him thoughtfully and shrugged. "Every now and then." They sat in silence for a second or so. "But y'know?" Luigi continued, staring back out at the savannas and the inky-blue sky dotted with millions of sparkling diamonds. "This more than makes up for it…"

Pyewacket nodded slowly in understanding as he turned his reptilian face to the heavens. So many questions. Answers to questions and questions to answers were appearing in vast numbers. Despite this, he was filled with an innocent sense of wonder and awe at the prospect of the coming changes.

For the first time in a while, he felt relatively at peace.


	38. Hot and Cold

**Chapter 38: Hot and Cold**

The next morning, after a calm breakfast, they packed up camp and set off for, hopefully, the last stretch of plains before the mountains. Pyewacket loped along at a brisk canter with Sigurd galloping beside them on all fours, his large tongue lolling out the side of his mouth and his ears pressed against his head. Maverick floated next to him, his tongue lolling in the same manner.

Gadd sat snoozing in his saddlebag, the sunhat pulled snugly down over his eyes. Luigi kept his eyes bolted on the base of the mountains, now only a few miles away. He grimaced slightly. The events of yesterday, plus Grym's cryptic warning, Judges' foul mood, and Loky's smug remarks had placed him in a state of temporary concerned determination. Concerned determination to not screw up by any means. He shook his head, swiping an arm across his brow. He couldn't let it get to him now. Especially since they were so close to Iceland.

They all gave a cry of surprise when Pyewacket faltered. Pyewacket gritted his teeth as he tensed his leg and balanced himself, roughly halting. His sides heaved as he looked around. Luigi gently released his death-grip on the fiery-red mane. "Are you alright?" he panted. "What was that?"

"Weegee!! De ground soft!!!" Pyewacket pressed his foot against the earth, drawing a small puddle of water from the thick sphagnum beneath his feet. Gadd grumbled groggily, grumpy at having been shaken from his nap. He looked down after adjusting his glasses. "Eh…? Swamp?" Pyewacket slowly put his foot down.

"Must be left over from that last storm," Kalliel said as Sigurd wrinkled his nose. His tail swished in agitation as he nimbly hopped over a nearby puddle to another spot of dry land. He beckoned for them.

Luigi resituated himself and took hold of Pyewacket's mane as the prince followed Sigurd. "Just take it slow, okay?"

Pyewacket hopped along the small islands, every now and then, stepping in the water. "Yow!!" He yelped. "Izza cold!!" His attention was snared as something white floated by. With a lightning quick snap, Pyewacket seized it with his tongue. He had snagged a massive chunk of ice.

"What…?" Gadd asked, raising the brim of his hat. Sigurd cocked his head, his ear twitching. A slight crumbling noise alerted him to the surrounding marshes as Pyewacket dropped the chunk of ice. He paused for a moment, feeling a rumbling in his stomach before ripping a chunk off and swallowing it whole. He belched loudly.

Sigurd's ears were still pricked for any noises. Aside from the resounding echoes of Pyewacket's belch, small crackling could be heard. His eyes focused on the chunks of ice floating in the water. The source of the noise. He turned to them and whined.

Luigi slid off of the yoshi's back. "I think I'm gonna go with you guys on foot." Sigurd whined again.

"What is it, boy?" Marius asked, sliding off of Pyewacket's back as well.

Luigi frowned as he looked around. Mist was beginning to enclose the area. He rubbed his arms. "Brrr…Let's just get a move on. Looks like we'll have to hop from 'island' to 'island.'" He nodded to Sigurd as he dug his coat from one of the packs. "Lead on, old buddy."

Sigurd snuffled and pricked his ears as he bounded off into the mists. Luigi took hold of one of the saddle straps and led Pyewacket along as they followed Sigurd as best as they could. Often times Sigurd had to reappear to check on them, startling Luigi significantly each time. It was no problem for Luigi to jump, nor to Pyewacket, whose long legs made his hopping relatively easy. Marius, however, couldn't keep up as well. Luigi paused to allow him to catch up. Marius sprang forward from his dry patch to the incline of the small hill that Luigi stood on.

"AGH!" He cried as he lost his footing on the crumbly ground. Any icy chill enveloped him as he fell with a loud splash into the water. Luigi leapt down to the edge as he floundered, spluttering.

"Gah!! Can't…swim…pbbt…too cold!" Marius yelped. Luigi seized his wrist. "C'mon!" He said as he heaved the shivering koopa from the water.

Marius shuddered. "Th-thanks…" he said, his teeth chattering. Luigi smiled as Gadd tossed him a blanket. "No prob. 'S what friends are for, right?" With Marius atop Pyewacket, bundled in a blanket to ward off the chill, the going became much quicker.

"S-sorry for s-slowing y-you down," he chattered. "I can't jump as good," he said as he steadied himself as Pyewacket made another jump.

"Don't worry, you're fine-GYAAH!" Luigi yelped as he stepped into a deep pool of frigid water. He hopped about for a moment, shaking his leg as he tried to get the feeling to return. "Not paying attention…ow, man you weren't kidding." He rubbed his foot.

Sigurd barked, and then pointed one clawed finger up at the steep mountain face in front of them.

Gadd adjusted his glasses. "Oof…we've got some work to do…"

* * *

Windbag sat on his throne at the center of the great hall, picking idly at the bandage on his arm. As soon as he had entered his own castle, his personal medics were upon him like vultures, stating that the arm that had been shattered in the fight with Judges needed to be wrapped.

He sighed heavily before ripping the corner of the bandage and unraveling it.

"Y-your majesty, p-please don't…!" The timid squire said running to him. Windbag leveled his bushy eyebrows in a scowl.

"Squire!" he barked, silencing him. "It didn't need to be wrapped in the first place." Windbag stood to his feet, shrugging off the regal fur drape from around his shoulders. He rolled his sleeve back down over his arm. "…Dunno why you all have to fuss over me…I can take care of my own damn self…" he muttered sourly to himself as he slowly strode towards the opened hall doors. He snapped his fingers and another toad servant appeared with outstretched arms to take his robe. Windbag tossed it idly at him, covering him completely in the thick fabric.

He continued onward as the toad struggled to pull the cape off of him. Windbag's squire paused and took a shaky breath as the king stopped in the open doorway, staring down the broad, high-ceilinged causeway into the late afternoon sky. The Valdyr standing guard stiffened and saluted to their king.

"K-king Windbag?" He asked as the high king began walking down the hall towards the front gate. Windbag was in a foul mood and had been since they had returned. "…" the squire wrung his hands uneasily, yet followed. Though his king certainly had become more respectable, his temper _still_ frightened him.

"Don't take it personally, kid…" Windbag said with a heavy sigh. He stopped in the archway of the main gate and jammed his fists into his pockets. The snow swirled in drifts around him, slightly ruffling the shock of wiry, grey-streaked red hair. "I'm probably not gonna feel any better until they get here." He turned his head just so he could see the toad out of the corner of his eye. "I didn't mean to snap, lad." He said calmly.

"O-oh, no sir," The toad said with a small smile. "N-no offense taken." He relaxed knowing that his king wasn't going to aim his frustrations at him like he used to. "So…" he started, trying to somehow take his king's mind off of his troubles, "…what's going to happen now?"

"I'm not sure…" Windbag sighed again. Even with his sleeves rolled up and his coats and fur capes absent, the cold didn't seem to both him. What did he care? He was king of Iceland. He was the blizzards that raged, the snows that swirled, yet at this particular moment, he felt helpless. He sat unsure of where Luigi and the others were while darkness stirred just beyond his eastern borders.

The squire fidgeted slightly once more, shifting his coat tighter around him to ward off the chill. Windbag turned his eyes to him and opened his mouth to speak before being cut off by an eerie sound. All of the Valdyr stiffened, turning their muzzles, ears perked, to the southern mountain ranges. Windbag froze. A lone howl echoed over the forests and snow plains, eerie, yet familiar. His lip curled into a crooked smirk. "They're here!" He barked, turning on his heel and pelting full-speed down the corridor to his throne room. He snatched his fur-lined drape from the bewildered servant and drew his crystal wand from his belt.

"King Windbag, wait! What is it?" The squire gasped as he struggled to keep up with him.

The squire wasn't fast enough to keep up with him. By the time his short legs had carried him to the top of the Castle's tower, Windbag was already pointing his wand into the sky. He collapsed panting at his king's feet. Windbag was drawing a slow, small circle with his wand, causing the clouds to swirl ever so slightly. The squire shivered, "K-king Windbag…what's g-going on?" he stammered.

"The moment they cross into the mountains, Luigi and the others are under my protection. I told Sigurd to hold back and wait for them. Once they passed the checkpoint, he was to notify me," He said as he brought his hand up to his face. A glowing white orb appeared in his palm.

"I-is that…what that howl was?" The squire panted. He waited through a tight pause as the king focused on his own business.

"Mmhmm…" he finally said, raising his hand and bringing his wand down to his side. His hand trembled slightly as the light shimmered and finally burst into a thousand sparkling specks. Windbag flipped his wand in his fingers, starting up a fierce gale that whipped their coats. Snow began to fall from the bruised, heavy clouds overhead in a thick, icy sheet, coating everything in white and limiting their visibility. As Windbag raised his wand again, the wind picked up even more, whipping the snow in a stinging storm.

The squire shielded his face from the wind, squinting to see his king. "Gyaaah!!" He screamed and fell back against the wall of the parapet. Materializing out of the snow was an enormous wolf head with glowing white eyes and icy fangs. It growled loosely as Windbag stepped up onto the edge of the wall. Frost was clinging to his light beard and eyebrows; the wind stung his cheeks as he stared into the face of the Ice Spirit. It loosed another breathy growl in recognition of the one who had summoned it. The squire shrunk back as far as he could, petrified of the detached lupine face in the snow and wind.

"(You called…?)" His voice echoed on the winds in ancient Icelandic. "(Windbag King…what do you ask of me?)"

Windbag replied in his native tongue, shouting against the maelstrom of ice and snow, "(I did...We have a new master…I fear that he will be in danger without your aid.)" The ice spirit nodded, humming lowly. "(Will you grant him your power should he request it?)" Windbag asked, keeping his crystal wand pointed at the spirit.

The wolf head thought. At last he smiled an icy, toothy grin. "(I have heard the bells…I shall…now, what of your true request?)"

Windbag grinned fiercely, "(Seal my kingdom.)" The wolf closed its pearly eyes and howled, causing its ethereal face to vanish from the snow. The storm subsided enough for them to see a giant snowy wolf thunder away towards the mountains, whipping up small cyclones of snow before leaping forward and dissolving into a thick blanket of snow that flew up to the heavens and into the thick grey clouds that blanketed the land. Peals of distant thunder sounded across the kingdom as the wolf rematerialized, far out of their line of vision and pelted along the ridge of mountains, dragging with it, a line of icy storms that resembled drawing a curtain on an open window.

* * *

Pyewacket was struggling to keep his balance through the wind and snow as he followed Sigurd at a fast run. Sigurd bounded from rock to rock effortlessly. Luigi gripped the fiery mane as he struggled to stay on. Marius kept a tight grip on Luigi's coat as they pelted through the wind.

"Wh-where did this come from?!?!" Luigi exclaimed as he tried to keep Pyewacket on course.

"Weegeee!!" Pyewacket notta see nothin'!!" He exclaimed. He let out an anguished cry as he lost his footing and flapped his wings as they tumbled down a steep embankment. Maverick yipped sharply, calling for Sigurd to stop. The two white creatures backtracked and flew down the small slope to find Pyewacket sprawled on the snow, wings folded awkwardly. Luigi pushed himself up, having been thrown a fair ways while Marius released his hold on the saddle and gripped his arm. Gadd peeked out of the saddlebag, "Is everyone all right?" He called over the storm.

"I think…agh…" Marius said, barely audible. Luigi crawled to him and knelt over him, "What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Maverick whirred as he nudged Marius up into a sitting position.

"My shoulder…" he managed to strain. He tried to shift his arm, only to have a shooting pain snuff his efforts. Sigurd knelt beside him and sniffed. Kalliel appeared next to Luigi. "This storm is not natural…" He muttered.

"What is it? I mean…is it good or bad?" Luigi asked as Gadd and Sigurd looked at Marius' arm.

"Good, I think…" He said, as he stood, looking to the sky. "Windbag is closing off the pass…for our protection, I believe."

"Well… don't you think he could've waited a few minutes longer?" Luigi asked. Marius gave a loud cry that cut through the howl of the wind as Sigurd popped his arm back into his shoulder. "AAaaaghhh….." Marius hissed as the pains slowly subsided. "…th-thanks…" he grimaced. His arm had been dislocated and a quick pop had set it back into place.

Luigi patted Marius on the back. "Besides," he said as he helped Pyewacket and Marius to their feet. "What was that baying for? That had to be the single creepiest thing I've ever heard," Luigi asked Sigurd. Sigurd turned and looked over his shoulder as the sound of loud thunderclaps was heard. Luigi paused, still with an arm around Marius' shoulder. They both cast each other a worried look as a tremor rumbled through the ground. Kalliel stiffened, clenching his fists as he stared off into the snowfall. Out of nowhere and thundering rapidly towards them, a massive white wolf galloped along the ridgeline, taller than any skyscraper. Luigi, Marius, Gadd, Pyewacket and Even Maverick uttered loud cries of shock and terror and fell backwards as the spirit galloped over them, bringing a forceful blizzard in its wake. Sigurd howled happily as it thundered over them, casting a quick glance over its shoulder at them as it sped away.

They all sat frozen in shock until Kalliel appeared over them and yelled over the roar of the wind, "We must find shelter, else we freeze to death!!" He and Sigurd helped the others up again and followed as Sigurd bounded away, stopping to look back at them. He barked for them to increase their pace.

* * *

Windbag stood on the parapet, watching as the blizzard spread along the far-off mountains. Though the wolf was too far away to see, he knew he was doing his job. He shook his head, loosing some flakes of ice and frost from his whiskers and hair. His clothing was coated in a fine layer of white. Turning, he addressed his squire. "Hey, I think we should get some tea. How about you go scrounge me and you up a couple of cups, huh?" He smirked. The squire nodded in disbelief of how he could be so calm after all they had just witnessed. It was almost nothing to the king.

The toad shakily climbed to his feet, wiping the frost and snow off of his face before slowly and shakily sliding down the tower steps. Windbag followed several moments later. He hopped off of the parapet and strode towards the stairwell, heels clicking on the stone as he walked. Down the winding steps he went, passing the squire mid-way. "Hurry up, boy, you're not gonna let an old fart like me beat you, huh?"

The squire groaned.

* * *

The winds whipped angrily in small cyclones of ice and snow as the group huddled inside of a cave. Sigurd stood watch outside in the wind, his mane and fur ruffling in the cold gusts. Gadd and Luigi were busying themselves with trying to light a fire from the tinder and logs that Sigurd had gouged from a nearby fir tree. Things were not going well, even with Luigi's magic, the bitter cold was extinguishing the flames just as quick as they could ignite the logs.

"This is nuts…" Gadd muttered against his chattering teeth. He rubbed his arms to ward off the chill.

"See…if Mario were here, he'd have this thing lit already…" Luigi said with a small sigh as he rubbed his hands together and formed a bright green fireball in his hands. He touched it to the logs again, focusing all of his power on making the flame hotter and bigger so the wood would catch. "He can do this much better than I can…"

Gadd merely shook his head as Maverick shivered beside Luigi. Marius scooted closer to where they knelt. He rubbed his hands together and produced a small fireball of his own. "It isn't the wind that's getting me, it's this blasted cold…"

"It would be wise to stay put until morning," Kalliel said as he helped straighten the tent poles so the shelters could be erected properly. "Like I said, this storm isn't natural. This is Windbag's doing. He's merely trying to cover our tracks and nothing more."

"Too bad his timing was off a bit," Gadd chuckled, shivering again.

"Simple miscalculation," Kalliel smiled back.

Pyewacket whimpered to himself as he lay against the wall. He was used to searing tropical heat, not the burning cold winds and icy terrain. The ache in his belly was also driving him crazy. He pushed himself up and flapped his wings before loosing an anguished roar.

"Hey, what's wrong?!" Luigi called, running over to him as he thrashed. Pyewacket coughed loudly, bringing forth another blast of hot, burning air.

"Hey!" Marius called, seeing what was about to happen. "Luigi, wait!!"

Luigi had his arms up, trying to get Pyewacket to lie down again. Pyewacket slipped on a small patch of ice and sunk to his knees before letting out a mighty jet of flame. Marius bowled into Luigi, sending them both skidding away, but saving them both from the super-heated plume of fire.

The others lowered their arms away from their faces. "What the…?" Gadd asked quietly as he observed the far cave wall, which was now bare, devoid of any ice and snow. Large black patches spotted the rock wall.

Luigi and Marius sat panting as Pyewacket shook his head and clapped his hands to his mouth. "Owowowooo!" He howled. "Hot, hot, HOT!!" His tongue darted out and scooped up large mouthfuls of snow. Sigurd merely stood back, eyes wide and confused, the very tips of his long mane singed. He snorted.

Luigi patted Marius on the shoulder with a trembling hand. "Th-thanks…"

Knowing the two of them were keeping their eyes plastered on the blue dino, Marius nodded. "Yeah…"

"Pyewacket…I didn't know you…" Marius trailed off, pointing to the scorched earth.

Pyewacket belched loudly, feeling satisfied. He sighed contentedly, the expulsion of the flame having made him feel better than ever. "Ya, ya! Alla island clan can!" His eyes widened as he clapped his paws back over his mouth and groaned.

"What is it?" Kalliel asked quietly.

"Fadda tella Pyewacket story of how yoshi burn down alla forest long-a-timeago." He shook his head sadly. "Yoshi's nottallowed to burn breath!" He covered his face with his paws.

"I didn't get a word of that," Gadd muttered into Luigi's ear.

"I think," Luigi whispered back, "that Osman banned use of fire-breathing because someone burned the forest down years ago…" He turned back to Pyewacket and grinned. "Not one wanting to be a bad influence, but their rules don't exactly apply to you anymore, you know."

"Yeah," Marius laughed. "You're free now, y'know? Do what you want." Pyewacket gaped at him. He sat for several long minutes as he contemplated what the young Hammer Bro. had said. He shook his head. "But…izza law…" He muttered doubtfully. In his mind, he felt that Marius and Luigi were right.

"Well, technically," Kalliel began, "You _have_ been exiled. In my book, at least, that means you are free to do as you wish." He smiled as he crossed his arms over his chest. Pyewacket sat in thought for a little while longer. He finally nodded and smiled. "Yessah…Weegie right. Pyewacket izza free prince."

Gadd chuckled. "Well, yer obviously feelin' better after that little blast, why don't you try it again, see if we can't get a proper fire goin'?"

Pyewacket picked himself up and trundled over to them before flopping into a tired heap near the stack of logs. He paused for a moment.

"So how'd you do that?" Marius asked, pointing to the charred cave wall. Pyewacket grinned sheepishly and shrugged.

"Fire get so bad that…hmm…" He put a claw to his chin in thought. "Guess Pyewacket just had to-" he was cut off as he strained a bit, followed by a loud belch and a plume of flame. It was smaller than the last one, but just as hot. Pyewacket toppled over, clutching his throat. After a few moments, he sighed. The pain in his gut had finally subsided.

"Guess we'll need to work on that some," Luigi said, rubbing the spot between Pyewacket's shoulders. "Once you control it, that'll be really cool." Pyewacket's eyelids fluttered a bit as he curled into a ball near the now-merrily crackling fire that his breath had ignited. He sighed contentedly, letting his large, feathery wings drape over him in a thick blanket. Luigi and the others sat with their hands in front of them, warming themselves while Kalliel stood, arms still crossed, staring out into the raging snowstorm.

Marius stifled a huge yawn. "I think I'm gonna turn in for the night, guys." He bundled his coat around him tighter as he entered the tent. "G'night," Luigi and Gadd bade him as he disappeared. Maverick yawned too and fluttered down into Luigi's lap, where he promptly began to snore softly. The drafts from the storm outside sent a slight breeze back into their little camp, gently ruffling Luigi's hair. He rubbed his nose a bit, warding off the stinging chill. Looking down fondly at Maverick, he gently patted him on the head. The little boo had grown so much in the past weeks.

"I believe it's best that we all get some rest. Tomorrow morning would be the best time to head out," Kalliel said, floating towards the mouth of the cave. He stretched. "I'll take over the watch now. Goodnight, all."

"G'night, kiddo," Gadd said, standing up and stretching until he heard his back pop. "Ooh, lordy…" he grunted. Luigi watched as Kalliel relieved Sigurd of his post. After a few moments, he noticed Kalliel rub his arms. Luigi chuckled, gently standing with Maverick in his arms. "You're almost too big for me to carry you now, y'know?" He said, balancing him as he picked up an extra blanket and walked to the cave mouth. "Kalliel," he called. "Need this?" Kalliel slowly turned, shivering.

He chuckled bashfully, "Yeah…I think so…" His teeth began to chatter as he held out a hand for the blanket. Luigi tossed it to him, receiving a flat look as it sailed right through his body. "I'm not solid, anymore, y'know…" Kalliel chuckled at last. Luigi smirked.

"Stay warm, and take it easy. You don't need to be completely out in the wind."

Kalliel thought for a moment. "I suppose you are right," he laughed. "Though I am a ghost, temperature still affects me. Wouldn't want to catch cold…" he laughed even harder at the thought. "That would really give the professor food for thought, wouldn't it?" Luigi shared his mirth. Gadd opened the flap of the tent.

"Oh, I see…talkin' smack behind my back now, huh?"

"Sure, professor. You and me, tomorrow morning, we'll make it a contest." Kalliel grinned as Luigi fed the proverbial fire.

Gadd rolled his eyes. "You know I'll spank the crap outta you!" Gadd laughed. "Now git yer scrawny ass in here and go to bed, you're keeping everyone up." He shook his head as he reentered the large tent. "Keeping a poor old man like me from his beauty sleep."

"You're wayyy past that, trust me…" Luigi muttered, laughing as Gadd reappeared and chucked a pillow at his head. "I heard that!"

Kalliel laughed long and hard, allowing his legs to appear from his ghostly tail as he sat down on top of a nearby rock, blanket wrapped around his shoulders. Sigurd snuffled, lips curling back over his teeth merrily as he laughed a rumbling laugh.

"All right, all right, settle down. It's bed time," Luigi finally said through a chuckle as he entered the tent. "I thought we all needed rest."

Gadd mumbled something, causing a snicker from Marius, but was cut off as a small whump came from Luigi smacking him over the head with a pillow. Kalliel continued to laugh to himself, his quiet mirth drowned out by the howling winds. Sigurd gave him a thumbs up and a nod, signaling him to let him know when he wanted to switch. Kalliel nodded and smiled. "My thanks, friend. But I feel like I need to retake my duties for now." He touched his fingers to his forehead, causing the glowing mark to appear. Sigurd copied his motions, touching the silver star-shaped mark on his head before placing a hand to his chest and bowing. Such was the way his king did it; such was the sign of respect for all members of their order.

"Goodnight, Sigurd. Sleep well, may we see each other fresh on the morrow."

* * *

Luigi woke with a start the next morning at the sound of Sigurd's loud, deep barking. Kalliel's head appeared through the wall of the tent. "Luigi, come quick, we have someone here to speak with you."

"Mghm…" he groaned. He didn't want to move. What with the mound of sleeping bags and blankets, the four inside the tent were rather cozy. He sighed after Kalliel cleared his throat outside the tent. He pulled on his thick coat and exited the tent. Marius followed shortly after, doing up the buttons of his jacket as he tailed Luigi. Gadd stepped out, adjusting his glasses. There came a snort from the large black beast in front of them.

Gadd squinted through the snowy haze as a familiar man dismounted a familiar horse.

Luigi's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Professor Asimov," he greeted. The older man stared over the rim of his spectacles, smirking as his bright blue eyes twinkled beneath dark kohl-laced eyebrows.


	39. Iceland

Okay, so apparently I had malware on my computer that had disabled my administrative functions, shut down my virus scan, and killed my internet connection. Sorry for the delay, all problems are now fixed and there won't be any more month-long delays, I really wish I could've kept up on my previous problems, but now we found the cause of it, so I'll be able to. That is all, please enjoy the chapter :)

-Myrr

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* * *

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**Chapter 39: Iceland**

"It is good to see that you all made it here alive," He smiled warmly. "I was truly beginning to worry."

Luigi smiled back, relieved to see another friendly face. To him, it meant that they were in the clear. He tilted his head slightly, "Worry? About us?" Luigi chuckled sarcastically. He seemed to be a magnet for all sorts of trouble lately.

Nikolai nodded, casting a slightly disdainful sideways glance at Sigurd. "Myes…" He turned his light-blue eyes back to the group as Sigurd's head tilted in confusion. He whined. The professor shook his head, sweeping the large ushanka from his head in a sweeping bow. "At any rate, King Windbag requested that I accompany you to his castle."

"Just, um…if you could give us a second to pack up, that'd be great."

Nikolai chuckled. "As you wish. Perhaps, if I may assist…?"

"No need," Gadd said lightly, stifling a yawn. "We'll be just a second, no need to trouble yourself…" He yawned hugely.

Kalliel paused momentarily, his brow furrowing slightly. "Let us hurry…then…" he trailed off, grimacing.

Luigi paused, holding a tent pole from the dismantled shelter. _Is something…wrong?_

Kalliel looked puzzled for a moment, letting his eyes slip out of focus. _I'm not…sure. I don't believe so…_he smiled wearily as he rubbed his temple. _I think I may have just been worrying too much. Now that we're safe, maybe I just can't get myself to relax…_

_Well, if it makes you feel any better… I still don't really feel one-hundred percent secure yet…_

_You never do…_Kalliel audibly chuckled.

Pyewacket yawned and snorted as he shook himself awake, ruffling the shimmering red mane. He stood, stretching his long legs as the others packed everything back into the saddle bags. Within the hour, they had set off again, taking great care to bundle up excessively. Nikolai adjusted his scarf and bent his head against the wind as he urged Anya onward through the whipping winds.

Gadd had disappeared deep into his saddlebag, wrapped in a mass of blankets while Luigi and Marius fought with the wind while atop Pyewacket. With the fire extinguished in his belly, the prince narrowed his eyes and folded his wings close to conserve heat in the harsh blizzard. They all knew it couldn't be that far from some inkling of civilization. Luigi knew, after working with Mario for so long, that the Iceland pipelines were a different set than those crisscrossing the rest of the continent. He knew that there was something different about these pipes. Namely the fact that they didn't freeze and become inactive like the standard kingdom pipes. Apart from that, he knew little. Mario kept the only pipe map of Iceland that he knew of. Really and truly, he was growing weary of the traveling and taking a shortcut through a pipe might be a good thing. That is… if they could find one big enough for Pyewacket to travel through.

Luigi finally broke away from the swarm of thoughts buzzing about in his head when he noticed the winds subsiding. He stopped Pyewacket as he noticed only a few snowflakes drifting from the heavily-clouded sky. The wind stirred his hair and clothing as he turned to look behind them at the thick wall of storms a few feet behind them.

"Ees…something wrong?" Nikolai asked, having noticed the absence of his follower.

Luigi looked back for a moment before nudging Pyewacket on. "No, nothing's wrong." He looked back at Marius, who wore an identical confused expression.

* * *

With their business done in Rougeport, Loky, Judges, and Grym plodded quietly across the savannas in Grassland. The master wouldn't have any jobs for them to do after they returned, so the three had decided to take a hunting side-trip, though it had turned into more of a leisurely stroll. Judges stopped and sniffed the ground near a grassy knoll where there were remains of charcoal hidden beneath a pile of dried grass.

His lips pulled back in a sneer, showing brilliant white and razor-sharp teeth. He caught the faint smell of Luigi and that blasted yoshi prince. "This was their camp…" He grumbled, swatting at the remains of the fire pit away.

"Why should it matter?" Grym glowered, looking toward the northern mountains. The tops were obscured by a thick curtain of swirling mist. "…He's long gone out of our reach by now."

"I still don't understand why the master didn't want us to just kill 'im when we had the chance…" Loky grimaced, expecting a sneer from Judges. To his surprise, Judges looked at him and nodded in wholehearted agreement.

"Patience…" Grym said, staring at his paws. He looked up and jumped. Judges' face was inches away from his, almond eyes peering at him menacingly.

"You know something…" he rasped.

Grym's tentacles undulated slowly as he slunk back. "No…I know nothing. Give the master time for his plans to unfold."

"Elucidate for me…" Judges said quietly.

"The man we spoke with…Doopliss…he's a shape-shifter…am I correct?" Grym purred slyly, his confidence bolstered with his own cunning logic. "Remember what the master said…Whomever he assumes the form of is left as a shadow while he walks around masquerading as his victim. We gave him a shard. A shard, mind you…not a fragment. Lord Kamek would not want to waste a precious piece of himself on Luigi."

A light dawned on Judges. "I see…" Judges' teeth reappeared in a maniacal grin. He knew that the shards were used to control the hearts of its victims. "I suppose we let him do as he pleases with it, whatever it may be…"

"Sooo…" Loky began, trying to piece it together. "Maybe with a ton of luck and good timing, we can get rid of Luigi without them even notice that he's gone."

"Right," Judges grinned at him. "A poison from within, this darkness is…"

"Nardis was but a guinea pig," Grym chuckled darkly. "Somewhat of a failure, but still a success nonetheless…"

"Ouch…What a way to go…hehehe…" Loky giggled mischievously at the thought. He paused for a moment, his smile sliding off his face to be replaced by a flat look. "That is… If he even survives the winter."

Grym paused as well, frowning. "I…didn't think of that…"

"It'd save a lot of trouble…" Judges rolled his eyes and hissed sourly. "The clumsy fool'd probably have a better chance of screwing up there than anywhere else. He's as good as dead up there anyway. If the cold doesn't get him, the werewolves will…" He hunched his shoulders and flattened his eyebrows. "Damn it…I wanted to do it…" he muttered to himself.

Loky gulped audibly. "Werewolves? They're not part of the master's plan, too are they?"

"No…" Grym said, shaking his head rapidly. "I wish they were, though." He paused, sneering sourly. "I get the impression that the man we encountered at the winter ball with the shotgun is a hunter of them. He shot me with silver bullets." He rolled his shoulder, wincing. "That stung something terrible…"

"Perhaps we can find a way through…" Loky suggested. "I wanna see some werewolves."

"It'd be wise to give them a wide berth," Judges said softly, "but finally, for once, I agree with you," he chuckled, ruffling his younger brother's mane while Grym looked on. "Perhaps you're not such a loss after all."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean!?" Loky barked as Judges turned and plodded towards the mountain ridge. Grym shook his head.

"We might as well do something productive. We'll search the border for an opening. If Windbag's got storms as his stronghold, then we can go through them. If not, there has to be some tunnels through the mountains," Judges grinned, then sauntered forth at a leisurely pace.

* * *

"So, where exactly are we? I can't see a thing in these snow drifts," Marius said, waving a few whipping flakes out of his face. They had been traveling for hours with no sign of civilization and to top it off, a small snowstorm had begun. Thankfully, it wasn't anywhere near as bad as the blizzards on the mountain tops from early this morning. Maverick and Sigurd had gone ahead to scout as Nikolai stared calmly down at a small compass he held in the palm of his hand.

"We'll be somewhere to rest shortly," Professor Asimov said, rolling his r's and smiling back at him. "Do not fear, in the next village I am thinking that we will find good food, a place to rest for the night and a pipe to take you to the capital."

"A pipe? I thought pipes froze over up here," Kalliel queried to Luigi.

"Not up here. They're special-made so they don't freeze or break. They deteriorate really badly once you cross them over the mountains where it's warmer, so we don't bother with them too much," Luigi said, drawing on his plumbing escapades with his brother.

"Mmm…That's why Hrolf and Randulf said there were no lines beneath the mountains…" Kalliel Murmured. Luigi nodded.

Their progress halted as a loud roar sounded overhead. Pyewacket startled, jostling his passengers. Anya nickered nervously, pawing the ground as Nikolai stroked her neck, speaking to her in a language Luigi couldn't place. There was a great blast of wind and snow as the sound of huge, flapping wings was heard. Shielding his eyes, Luigi peered through his fingers and uttered a cry as he toppled off the back of Pyewacket, taking Marius with him.

A large, pearl-scaled dragon had descended into the clearing. With one final flap, it settled, sending a puff of fresh powder snow into the air. It folded its regal wings, drawing itself to its full height. A grey-furred Ulfr slid off of the saddle on the back. He approached Professor Asimov and exchanged a few hasty words, accompanied by a respective bow before moving to Luigi.

"Master Luigi, I assume, ja?" He asked, bowing low. Sigurd stood wagging his tail at the sight of the newcomer. The Ulfr offered his paw, which Luigi shook.

"That's me, yes."

"My lord, I am Geyma, chief of Windbag's scouts. He has sent me to be checking on your progress."

Asimov watched him with a flat scowl. Luigi silently noted this, knowing that his distrust of the wolf clans stemmed from his werewolf-hunting.

"You fare well, ja?" Geyma continued, his English masked by a heavy accent. "The next town is not far, about five minutes fast riding from here. We should go. I am imagining that you are cold."

"You imagine right," Gadd said flatly, lifting up the flap on his saddle-bag and peering out.

"Right," Geyma nodded, smiling. "We go now, yes?" He loped to Sigurd before exchanging a quick, brotherly embrace and a few light-hearted words spoken in Icelandic, which were returned by a short bark from Sigurd. After their pleasantries were exchanged, he leapt onto the back of his dragon and gently tapped it with his heels. The dragon snuffled before spreading its leathery, white wings and taking to the air with a mighty flap. "It's not much farther!" He yelled over the rushing wind.

"Are you alright, sir?" Luigi cautiously asked Nikolai as he and Marius retook their positions on Pyewacket's back.

"I am uneasy about their kind," He said quietly as he nudged Anya into a brisk walk. Pyewacket adjusted his scarf and blew a bit on his hands, hissing as a small jet of flame missed his fingers my mere millimeters. He kept an easy pace alongside of the Clydesdale.

"I…can see that," Luigi said.

"Werewolves in reality resemble them in a bastardized mirror image. Rabid, unfocused, beastly. Trying to pick one out of a troop of Ulfr is like finding a needle in a haystack when they aren't hunting. Too many casualties. Too many close calls."

"Oh. I understand now…that makes sense…" Luigi said uneasily.

Nikolai offered him a small smile. "Do not think for a minute that I abhor their race. They are a proud, loyal people; and such strength is uncommon in the races of the world. I admire them in so many ways, yet I cannot help but exercise caution. Overlooking the slightest thing can lead to the deaths of many. I do not hate them; no…I hate what masquerades as them."

Luigi stared at him in reverence. He nodded, looking up to the white dragon that flapped along lazily in the breeze. He tried to imagine Geyma and Sigurd and even General MacPherson as rabid beasts. The image was frightening and powerful. It sent a shiver down his spine.

Just as Geyma had stated, the village was no more than five minutes away and upon their entry into the town, they were greeted by a wave of cheers and applause. Toads of various heights and cap-colors flooded the streets accompanied by an equal number of Highland Ulfr and a handful of various humans, koopas, and even a few bob-ombs.

"Word travels fast, doesn't it?" Luigi asked as Kalliel appeared next to him. Kalliel smiled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Indeed."

Maverick fluttered to and fro, chirping and warbling happily. Luigi looked down and smiled, feeling a sense of warmth from the excited faces of the crowd.

"A'ight, a'ight ge' a move on naow, comin' through," A loud voice sounded over the din. An Ulfr with russet-brown fur and a somewhat broad belly tried to calm the congregation. "Well now, this is a grand sight. Welcome, Luigi, to our village. I'm Chief Wallace, and the clans here all welcome yae." The heavy Ulfr smiled, showing his set of sharp, pearly teeth. He was heavy-set with thick, strong limbs. He definitely lacked the lithe form of the King's guards, but his thick, powerful limbs boasted comparable strength nonetheless. He wore a red deerskin jerkin, a broad leather belt around his thick waist which held up a beautifully colored tartan of a deep, rich red, striped with gold and green. Luigi looked around. The majority of the people wore kilts in the same style, but the variety of patterns was enough to boggle his mind.

Wallace spotted Luigi admiring the various patterns and clapped his paws together, "I'd be happy tae tell ye all about the clans if'n ye'd like to stay a while. I'd recommend it. A good night's rest'd be just the thing, but not afore you get some feed in you."

Marius rubbed his stomach as it growled hungrily. "Man, that sounds like a good idea right about now, I'm starving."

Wallace chuckled, his stomach shaking with mirth. "Well naow, I guess tha' settles it then." He turned to his townspeople, "Alright yew lot, shift ye'r carcasses! Ye heard him, didn' ya? We got hungry travelers!"

Luigi and Marius hopped down off of Pyewacket as the townsfolk rushed off to prepare accommodations for their regal guests. Wallace clapped him smartly on the back. "Now, I know that ye've been travelin' for a while now, but it may make yeh feel better knowin' that ye've got thae entire country at yer back. Ol' man Windbag released a proper declaration puttin' us all behind ye whether ye like it or not," he winked. "Them shadow-cats will nae lay a finger on yeh, that's for damn sure."

Luigi nodded, wincing slightly from the feeling of having his spine slammed into his chest. He felt relieved nonetheless. "Chief, I know you and Windbag said that we're safe here…but…" He trailed off, silently hoping to himself that he would be able to send letters. "…Will I be able to send mail out?"

Wallace thought for a moment, rubbing his thick chin. "I don' see why not… ye'd have to talk to Windbag abou' tha'." He winked at him, "Got someone special out there now, do ya'?"

Luigi nodded, causing Wallace to thump him on the back once more. Luigi stumbled slightly, but caught himself as he tried to catch his breath.

Dinner that night was a joyous, welcome event. The food was wonderful, the town dining hall warm and filled with lively chatter and music. Luigi watched with awe as a few lovely Ulfr maidens gracefully step-danced to a lively tune played by a few of the townsfolk on a set of bagpipes, a small accordion-like instrument, and a flute of sorts.

"Everyone seems…so cheerful here," Marius said serenely as he watched the dancers as they kept time to the rhythm of the song with smiles on their faces.

"Ah, let me be the first to let ye know, in Iceland, we try not tae bother ourselves with negative things. There's always a silver lining, always a reason tae celebrate," Wallace said from his place at Luigi's side. "We're a proud folk, a land of grea' warriors and we damn well exercise that. Most of us dunnae fear much in this world, because we always find something tae fight for. Tha' alone gives us the strength tae carry on when times are down. Ye always have to find something worth fightin' for." He smiled as he turned his attention to his townspeople once more.

Luigi hardly touched his food after that. It wasn't anything troubling him. He just couldn't push the thought of everyone he loved out of his mind. Mario, Daisy, Peach, his friends and teammates, Maverick, Kalliel, Pyewacket, the professor…All of them were part of his family in one way or another. What the big issue was he now realized that everyone was looking to him. It wasn't really daunting, but it gave him a sense of hope knowing that he would be there for them and they would be there for him, no matter how frightened he became due to the circumstances.

As he lay down that evening in the first bed he'd slept in in a couple of weeks, he felt sense of sheer exhaustion and confidence that nothing was going to happen. He didn't dwell too much on it, as Maverick snuggled up against him and cooed. He promptly slipped into a deep, heavy sleep.

The next morning, he awoke to daylight streaming in through the window. The panes of glass were framed with minute crystalline forms from the ice outside. Luigi rubbed his eyes and sat up, carefully avoiding waking Maverick. Looking out the window, he saw that the morning was crisp and clear, revealing sapphire-blue skies traced with wispy, thin cirrus clouds. The thick fir-tree forest and the surrounding ground and town were blanketed in white from yesterday's snowfall.

A loud snort startled him. Pyewacket was sprawled awkwardly over one of the beds. He looked perfectly content, but his legs hung over the foot, and all around, his body was too big for it. He was snoring heavily, oblivious to everything around him. Luigi chuckled as Maverick awoke and gave him a groggy, puzzled look.

There came a small knock at the door. The professor entered a few seconds later after, casting a flat look at the snoring yoshi.

Luigi stifled a yawn, "Good morning, been up long?"

"Yeah, a little…Ol' feather-face was over hear sawin' logs so hard, woke me up at seven, couldn't go back to sleep after that," Gadd shook his head as he grabbed hold of Pyewacket's foot. "C'mon, up an' addem. Yer about as subtle as a dump truck…" he grumbled.

Luigi stretched as Kalliel floated idly through the wall, casing Luigi to jump, his hair standing on end.

"Someone's a bit jumpy this morning," he remarked in amusement.

"Do you ever sleep?" Luigi asked as he smoothed his hair. Kalliel yawned and nodded, having given up on trying to talk through his yawn.

"Well anyway," Gadd said as Pyewacket snorted before ruffling his wings and fluffing his feathers. "It's ten-thirty, let's all get some breakfast before we leave…Chief's got the pipe ready an' everything."

Pyewacket flopped off of the bed and smoothed his wings as Luigi changed into his thick winter clothes, followed by the chain-mail and canvas surcoat. He noted that it fit much better with layers on underneath it. In the dining room of the inn, the company shared a quick breakfast before exiting into the bristling cold, clear morning. Gadd shielded his eyes as he looked up into the bright, clear sky. "Whew," he remarked. "Nice change to what we've been having, huh?"

Luigi paused with a hand on Pyewacket's saddle. "Something just occurred to me…" he said quietly. "Is the pipe they have going to be big enough to get Pyewacket in? I'm just worried about his wings…"

"O' course!" Wallace scoffed as he lumbered up the path with Nikolai upon Anya at his side. "We have a system of service pipes that criss-cross th' land for movin' supplies and stuff. Yer friend'll have plenty of room."

Wallace stamped his foot heavily into the earth, causing a small tremor. A huge pipe, ten feet in diameter sprang up from the snowy ground, its icy-blue complimenting the colors of the snowy forest and clear sky. Pyewacket would easily fit, much to everyone's relief. If he couldn't it would be a huge issue. The young ex-prince still could not fly.

"Well," Nikolai said, clearing his throat quietly. "It seems to me that this is where we go our separate ways for the time being." Luigi stopped and looked at him, "This isn't going to be the last time we see you is it?"

Nikolai chuckled softly. "I certainly hope not, however, I'm afraid that I have things to attend to at my estate. Perhaps you and the King would stop by sometime. You are always welcome, Luigi, your friends, too."

Luigi nodded, "That would be cool. I'd love to hear more about your research and findings."

"Any time." He looked at Gadd and gave a quick nod of acknowledgement, receiving the same from his cousin in turn.

"Oh, before I forget, Luigi said, turning away from the pipe, "Thanks for all of your help. I don't think we would have made it down the mountain in one piece if it hadn't been for you. Thanks."

Nikolai smiled, blue eyes twinkling from beneath his brows. "The pleasure was mine. Now go, go." He said lightly shooing them. "The king awaits."

Marius laughed quietly, he now knew from Luigi's stories and personal observation that the king was not one to be kept waiting.

"Shall we?" Kalliel asked. Maverick made several clicking noises with his toungue, sounding to them like an equestrian's order to speed up his horse.

"All right, buddy," Luigi said rubbing his head with his free hand, causing Maverick to purr. "Let's go." He leapt up to the lip of the wide, low-set pipe before hopping in, followed by Marius and Maverick, then Kalliel and Gadd and finally Pyewacket and Sigurd. The loud 'CHNG CHNG CHNG' sounded, signaling their departure as the pipe sunk back into the ground. Nikolai saluted them, "Godspeed."

"I shall await your return to the castle, ja?" Geyma requested, saddling his dragon.

"In due time, young Geyma," Nikolai said serenely with a smile. "Give my regards to your master." With that, he nudged Anya into a swift trot and disappeared into the snowy forest. Geyma in turn bade the Chief farewell and with a gentle nudge of his foot, the dragon rose into the air into the clear blue sky.

The sound had been much louder and lower than the pipes in the kingdom, and the feeling was even weirder. The pipes were glowing slightly, granting them view of their tunnel system. The pipes seemed to be lined with flowing ice that resembled a time-frozen river, the light bounced off the gentle curved and dips. The inside was cold as well, unlike the pipes in the south.

Marius gave a whoop as the pipe suddenly dipped and turned, rose then fell again like an icy roller coaster. He laughed, enjoying the ride. They must have been traveling much faster than he realized, as within five minutes, Luigi and his friends all found themselves hurled into the air from the momentum of the pipe. "Aiiiiieeeeee!!!" He and Gadd cried as they fell a short ways into a thick, pillow-y blanket of fresh snow. Marius fell with another whoop of pleasure while Sigurd made a strange, but excited howl as he too enjoyed the sudden surprise. Pyewacket flapped his wings awkwardly for a moment before plummeting down with a similar cry while Kalliel and Maverick had stopped their own ascent and merely hovered in the air. Gadd and Luigi poked their heads out of the snow before looking up.

"Ahhaaanonono!!!" They both cried as Pyewacket landed heavily on top of them.

Loud sounds of heavy laughter were heard through the snow as Gadd dug a small tunnel out, only to be lifted up by a pair of strong hands beneath his arms.

"Well, well, well, happy Monty Mole Day, professor!!" Windbag cheerily said with a grin. The tiny professor scowled at him.

"You are not funny…"

Luigi pulled himself out from under the heavy dinosaur in a daze. "Ohhhohhh…" He felt himself being pulled out as Windbag took him by the wrists and heaved. He overcompensated and seized Luigi by the ankle as he almost sailed by overhead. "Oops…" Windbag said apologetically As Luigi dangled from his grasp by the leg. Maverick giggled, while Kalliel couldn't help but laugh heartily at the scene. Marius had tunneled out in a similar way, but had leapt out before anyone could seize him.

"I think if we could've taped that, we would've won ten-thousand coins…" He said, adjusting his helmet.

Luigi somehow managed to worm his way out of Windbag's grasp and had succeeded in righting himself. The sight before him was both amazing and intimidating. Windbag stood grinning by a small platoon of the enormous light-furred Lowland Ulfr. Next to him stood General MacPherson, beaming with an identical look as his king. He was larger than Windbag, but even he stood several inches short of the Valdyr behind him. Sigurd bounded out of the snow bank wagging his tail and barking as Windbag knelt and rubbed at his head and ears. "Good boy," he praised. Sigurd stood and shook his head, his shaggy mane of snowy 'hair' falling around his shoulders as he adopted the more regimental look of the Valdyr behind them. Pyewacket stood as the ghosts floated down to stand next to Luigi.

Windbag and all of his guards touched their foreheads, many of them bearing glowing marks, and bowed respectfully. Luigi, Marius, and Kalliel copied, their marks flaring identically.

"Welcome," Windbag boomed regally, his baritone sounding over the area. "Luigi and friends, welcome! To Iceland!"

The entire party gasped. Luigi had seen the kingdom before, but it had been kind of cloudy the day the princess had sent him on his errand. Below the steppe where they all gathered, they were granted a breath-taking view of the entire valley and surrounding landscape.

The great Isskastali, the ice castle, stood gleaming and glittering in the chilly sunlight, almost as if it had been chiseled out of a hunk of diamond. All around, the landscape was covered in soft white powder and electric blue icicles. The bitter temperatures ensured that even in broad sunlight, the tiny glittering crystals never melted. It was the high peak of winter, after all. The town proper stood all around, built in medieval style, but still pastorally beautiful nonetheless. Farms fringed the outlying areas outside of the capitol. All around that, Luigi caught glimpse of snowy forests, frozen lakes, and even chunks of floating ice in the sky, some tiny, some massive. Off to his left, a low set of mountains fringed the northern edge of the territory, and beyond that, Luigi could see glimpses of the expansive Ice fields that Madame Clairvoya had shown him. Though he could not see it, he knew that beyond that would be his next destination.

As they followed Windbag off of the knoll, a laud thundering roar came from the distance. It was long and continuous, growing in volume with each passing step. As they came in view of the one last outcrop, Luigi almost fell backwards in surprise. Below him, filling every corner of available space, even covering the rooftops, were the people of Iceland, all cheering wildly at the Knight.

Toads of varying cap colors, Ulfrs of various sizes and colors, humans of all ages, various assortments of Hammer bros, koopas, and other denizens of the mushroom kingdom proper filled the scene below him waving and cheering.

Windbag held up his arms and miraculously, the crowd quieted in seconds.

"Folks," Windbag said, unable to suppress his grin. "May I present to you," he spoke in a dramatic showman's voice in perfect English, "Our new Knight of the Priory of Eidolon!!! Give it up!!"

"Give it up, everybody!!" Mac called down, followed by a wave of solid sound as the crowd erupted in cheers.

"Why are you doing that?" Luigi asked as Windbag grinned mischievously at him. "Still," Luigi smirked at Kalliel who mirrored his look. "I could get used to this," The green-clad young man said.


	40. Plan

**Chapter 40: Plan**

Luigi and the others walked amongst the enormous crowds as Windbag and Mac lead the way to the castle with their escort. Marius tugged at the base of Luigi's surcoat.

"I'll admit…this is a little unsettling…"

Luigi nodded and grimaced a bit, staring out at the millions of eyes staring at them from happily grinning faces. "Yeah…" He then chuckled. "I always dreamt of being in the spotlight, but…this far exceeds my expectations…" Luigi swallowed as he shyly tried to keep his gaze forward.

At the base of the steps, a few toad servants gently took Pyewacket by the reins and led him down a white-stone path. The blue dino looked in confusion as Marius and Luigi looked in alarm. "W-wait! Windbag! Where are they taking him?"

"Aw, relax, son. I assure you he'll be very well taken care of. He'll have a lot more room to stretch out with the other dragons. If he stays in the castle with us, he'll be slipping and sliding all over the place," Windbag said as his servants led Pyewacket away. "Grab the bags for us too, please," He added as he snapped his fingers to his servants.

"Eh…okay…erm…wait, _other _dragons?" Luigi asked. The party froze. Kalliel, Gadd, Marius, Maverick and Luigi all slowly looked at each other before looking back at the king.

"Yeah…" Windbag said slowly, staring at them in confusion. He suddenly grinned, "Oh goody! We'll have a bunch to talk about!"

The party cast one last anxious glance at each other before hurrying to follow the king.

They followed Windbag up several glittering staircases, past elegant halls and extravagant banners. He finally showed each of them to an individual room, the servants carrying their bags and belongings. "If you need anything, my attendants will be happy to assist you…" Windbag paused for a moment, rubbing his stubble-coated chin. "Well, see you at dinner!" He grinned as he turned on his heel and strutted away.

Luigi gently closed his door before taking a deep breath and sighing. He looked around. His room was nice, no doubt about it. A King-sized four-poster bed sat in the far corner, neatly made with thick blankets of furs draped over it. The material was made out of shimmering, translucent ice which, upon closer inspection, made up the majority of the furniture in the room, though at varying degrees of lucidity. The dressers, the tables and even the fireplace were carved out of a beautiful mixture of milky stone and Ice. Two chairs carved from two blocks of Ice rose out of the floor in front of the fireplace, lined with furs for warmth. To Luigi's surprise, there was already a fire glowing in the fireplace.

He gently hauled his bag to the bed and began unpacking. He placed the key-dagger on the nightstand next to several other items that he had unpacked. He stared at the short, silver blade. Now that he knew what it was for, he had grown far more attached to it than ever. Locking enemies out or in something was definitely a much better alternative than getting himself or others hurt.

There was the sound of hurried footsteps outside his door, followed by a short knock on his chamber door. Before he could say anything, three toads hurried in and seized him.

"H-hey!" Luigi yelped as two tried to keep him still while the other climbed on top of his friend's head and stretched a length of tape-measurer across his chest and arm-span. Luigi caught on quickly and allowed them to finish their work before they left with quick bows. He scratched his head. A quieter knock soon sounded.

"Come in," Luigi said as he continued to unpack. Marius poked his head in and smiled, "Hewwo."

Luigi smiled as the Hammer bro. slid in and gently closed the door behind him. "You seem to be in a good mood," Luigi commented wearily. He was truly happy to be finally at his destination, but at the moment, he didn't want to eat, he didn't want to socialize with all of Iceland, he just wanted to sleep.

Marius noticed this and smiled. "I'm just happy to be here…" he trailed off and stared at the floor. "…I'm gonna admit, though. I'm getting a little homesick…and dare I say it, but I really miss Breaker and Hammer." He shuddered and drew the thick fur mantle around his shoulders tighter. "Brrr…this cold's going to take some getting used to." Luigi smiled sympathetically at him while he rubbed his arms and finally continued his thoughts. "I think it's best to try and be optimistic."

There came another knock at his chamber door. King Windbag poked his head in and grinned. "Hey, when you're done, could I get some help?"

"Sure, with what?"

In a separate room about an hour later, a blinding flash had filled the entire floor. Gadd stumbled out of the doorway with his arms stretched in front of him, eyes wide.

"Aw, poonannies, I can't see a damn thing…"

Kalliel opened his eyes slowly, standing up from his crouch to see Luigi, Windbag and Marius standing in a triangle around him. He stood and stretched, flexing his now solid arms and legs.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," Windbag grinned, slipping his crystal wand back into his belt.

He nodded, popping his neck with a grunt. "Yes, now that we have a seasoned disciple with us, casting longer spells will not be as hard on you, Luigi."

Luigi smiled. It certainly had been a lot easier to bring him back this time. "Alright," Windbag said, rubbing his hands together. "I've already sent word of your arrival to the princess, now who's hungry?"

Kalliel and Marius grinned. Luigi chuckled to himself. "Yeah, I'm feeling a bit peckish, too."

* * *

The dining hall was absolutely packed full to bursting with the denizens of the kingdom. Huge oaken tables sat packed with Ulfr of all shades, toads of all cap covers, large-eared mice, even the occasional bob-omb in a large, furry ushanka. Loud, lively pipe music sounded from a small group of minstrels as the groups feasted, danced, and drank. It was a night of celebration. The Crystalline castle rang with cheery voices and lively music far into the night.

After a particularly upbeat jig, which a young toad girl had asked Luigi to accompany her in; Luigi practically flopped back into his seat. "Whew," he sighed, wiping the sweat from his brow. Though he had spent the majority of his time in the dance getting the rhythm and steps right, it still was fun, and he couldn't keep the huge grin from sliding up his face. He fanned himself with his hat, despite the fact that it was a rather frigid night. He definitely needed that picker-upper. Along the walls sat large grates and fireplaces all blazing merrily. These combined with the activity of the hall made the atmosphere very warm and comfortable.

Everything about their surroundings seemed to rejoice. Everything seemed at peace, for once. Luigi was actually able to forget about everything that evening.

Windbag grinned at Luigi. "Fun, isn't it?" After a few deep breaths and a sigh, Luigi replaced his had and laughed. "Yeah." Now that there was a break in the music, they seized the opportunity to exchange words. Windbag was a little red in the face after a heavy bout of laughter with his General. Luigi looked around at the hall's occupants and how they spilled out into the grand entrance hall and out into the snowy courtyard. "This is like the winter ball times ten!" He said in disbelief.

Windbag nodded, taking a long drought of his mead. "If you believe it, we're rejoicing for you."

"Kind of unnerving to think about that now that you mention it…"

"Don't think about it like that. It's a celebration for many things. The fact that you're here, the notion that the eidolon knights have a leader again, the fact that evil didn't win."

"The battle may be over, but not the war," Kalliel said mindfully, "forgive my intrusion," he added.

Windbag chuckled, "I understand that. What I meant was we secured ourselves a victory by bringing him here. We can amass a proper counterattack plan, now. You know as well as I do that he can't do much from that under-ground cave."

"For the time being," Luigi said. "Hrolf and Randulf'll get it up and running again."

"Precisely why I sent them," Windbag commented.

* * *

The Manticores' patience was wearing thin. Judges had found several caves that lead deep into the mountains, but much to his fury, they ended abruptly at a magical barrier. A barrier that seemed to recognize and repel shadow in a blast of frigid power. The protection of the Ice spirit backed by the will of an entire country.

They were _not_ getting into Iceland.

"MrrraaaaaAGH!!!" Judges roared as another cavern was cut-off by the shimmering barrier.

"Here too?" Grym asked in boredom. Judges said nothing as Loky pondered to himself. "Maybe since this room's so big, the barrier's weak here?"

Judges closed his eyes and growled, angered by his younger brother's stupidity. He put on a voice that was venomously sweet, "Try ramming it." He closed his eyes as there was a loud smash and a bright light as Loky was flung away from them.

Grym observed emotionlessly before speaking flatly to Judges, "You did that on purpose…"

"Naw, really?"

Grym sighed in agitated boredom. "C'mon, can we go back now?" He cowered as Judges rounded on him. "…Don't get pissed!! There's nothing left to do now!"

"Kaaah…" Judges hissed as he rolled his eyes. Even though he hated it when Grym was apathetic, he couldn't deny the fact that there truly was nothing more they could possibly do, other than wait. "Fine…" He grumbled as he turned and left with Grym and Loky in tow.

* * *

The next couple of days were spent in utter relaxation. Though the bitter cold was going to take a heavy amount of getting used to, there was certainly no shortage of warm clothing for the group. The past two days had been spent on a leisurely tour of the town and countryside proper and even included somewhat of a ski trip. Luigi now found himself following King Windbag, flanked by Marius and the once-again-solid Kalliel, down a crystalline hallway. Kalliel shifted the thick fur cape around his shoulders and blew into his hands.

"Stars have mercy; I thought the temperatures at the mansion were bad."

Marius grinned up at him.

"So…" Luigi said, sparking conversation, "Where are we going and what's up?"

"Nothing much, it's tea time and I think we should all sit down somewhere cozy and have a nice chat." Windbag opened a set of heavy wooden double-doors that opened into a magnificent library. The marbled floors mutely reflected the sunlight streaming in through the windows, sending plays of light up the tall, packed bookshelves. Banners and standards hung from the vaulted ceiling like in the throne room. Windbag led them to the back corner where in front of a roaring fireplace sprawled a huge bear-skin rug. A table rested on it with a number of large comfortable chairs. Seated on a sofa, quietly drinking tea from a large mug was none other than Ludwig Von Koopa.

He turned his eyes to the newcomers and smiled. "Ah!" He sighed, placing the book in his paw down onto the small coffee table. "Wilkommen, friends!" He gathered Luigi, Marius and Kalliel into a great, crushing bear-hug. Gadd nimbly side-stepped to avoid the bone-crunching embrace.

"Ludwig!" Luigi croaked before being released.

"Your excellency, I feared you had been captured, last we met," Kalliel bowed formally.

"Yeah, what happened?" Marius asked as he quietly seated himself in a chair near the fire. He thankfully accepted a cup of tea from one of the servants.

"Vell…to put it bluntly…I beat feet vhen I saw zat Ulfr enter ze castle. He didn't exactly smell right…Zankfully, I am becoming very keen on folloving my intuition. I vanted to keep my fiancée safe, so," he sighed for effect, "I left ze kingdom. Pipeline Central is, I regret to say, temporarily shut down for the time being."

"Ouch… I bet that puts a damper on everyone's travel plans. I hope Mario wasn't planning on making any long trips…" Luigi mulled. His eyes shot up. "Wait! You didn't talk to Mario o-or the princesses or anything before you left, did you?!" His voice almost jumped an octave as he painfully waited to hear any news.

Ludwig chuckled quietly. "Calm down, Luvigi, drink some tea. I actually bring good news. Not ze best, but as the situation allows, decent for the time being at least." He cleared his throat. "I spoke with your brother before leaving for Iceland…shortly after you left, I believe. He's been helping with the clean-up in town from ze attack. Both princesses are safely in Sarasaland, so you need not vorry about zem. He vas planning to travel to Sarasaland for a few weeks at the least, after the town is cleaned." Ludwig's bushy eyebrows shot up suddenly. "Ai! I almost forgot," he pulled out a slightly battered envelope. "He asked me to give you this." He handed it to Luigi. "It isn't pressing, so he said read it vhenever you're comfortable."

"No time like the present," Luigi said quietly as he tore into it and lowered it to allow Marius to read it with him. Somewhere in the library a door banged open and the sound of claw-tips clicking on the marble floor sounded as Sigurd slipped around the corner with Maverick in tow. The both looked as if they had been out romping in the snow. Sigurd shook his muzzle free of any remaining ice crystals.

Windbag cleared his throat, "Sigurd, manners." Sigurd froze and stood to salute.

"At ease," General MacPherson said, coming into the alcove. He reached up and patted the huge white Ulfr on the shoulder. Maverick had been copying Sigurd's stance and sighed a small squeaky sigh the same instant that Sigurd had.

Marius and Luigi had barely even noticed as they sat with the letter in their hands.

_Dear Luigi,_

_Dropping a note to see how you're doing. I've been good, the girls are safe and the kingdom's a mess. Cleanup's still going on. I really could use your help, so many busted pipes! We'll probably be at this for the next few weeks. _

_I heard a rumor you made it to Iceland. Cold enough for you? Give my best to the king. _

_Before I forget, I'm planning on heading out to Rougeport in a couple of months when the cleanup in town is done. I got a letter saying that they saw some shady figures around Twilight Town. Sounds to me like your little friends…I can't head out there right away, though if anything pops up, I'll be out there in a heartbeat. Ludwig contacted me, all of the pipes are down on the continent, so it seems I'll be 'hoofing' it like the professor likes to say. If anything, I'll be sending a letter when I leave for the port._

_Take care, and stay safe,_

_Mario_

It had been a brief letter, and by the look of the handwriting, it seemed to have been written in haste. Luigi couldn't blame him. There was enough on everyone's mind right now. He read it over a few more times before setting it on the coffee table while Marius poured himself and Luigi a cup of tea each. Both of them were thinking the same thing.

"What do they want in Twilight Town?" Marius mumbled as he bit into a sugar biscuit.

Luigi sipped at his tea in silence, trying to quell the increasing feeling of dread from rising in his stomach. He rubbed his face. How many times in the past month had the others needed to pull him back from chickening out? This was gloriously presenting itself as another opportunity. Despite everything, he had been finding an increasing amount of situations in which he prevailed despite his…timidness. At least one thing was for certain, Mario would not be sitting this one out. He grinned suddenly at that thought. "Yahoo!!" He cried, leaping up and scaring the living bejeezus out of the tiny professor. With a loud SPLORT, Gadd spewed his tea.

"D'ya mind NOT doing that?"

"What gives?" Windbag said, raising one bushy eyebrow.

Luigi flushed beet red as he realized his sudden outburst and the fact that no one had any inkling of an idea as to why he did that in the first place. "S-sorry…It's just that, well, I miss adventuring with Mario and, well, looks like I'll get my chance again." He handed the others the letter.

"So you're happy that the Manticores were fartin' around in Twilight Town?" Gadd asked bluntly, passing the letter to Windbag and Ludwig.

"No, no," Luigi sighed. He explained how Mario would soon be joining their efforts while the two royals read the letter. "See? We'll really stand a chance now that my bro's working on it."

Kalliel took the letter and read from it, frowning slightly. "I must second with Marius…what _were_ they doing there in the first place…?"

"I dunno…but at least we have something of a plan of attack now…erm," Luigi paused, seeing the need to elaborate, "…at least get some 'training' in before heading off to investigate."

"Yeppers, that's the way to talk, son!" Windbag beamed, thumping him on the back. He looked over to Ludwig, "You game for a little adventuring?"

Ludwig did not look up from his refreshments, "I'm just here to drink your tea."

Seemingly undaunted by the regent's indifference, Windbag continued, "We'll need to work out our schedule. That's part of the reason I brought you here, Luigi."

"I was actually about to ask that," Luigi said, drawing the thick fur shawl on the chair around him to stave off the cold.

"Okay, the second reason is that it's time for some schooling on 'stuff you don't know about!'"

"Tha' was very eloquently pu', sire…" Mac said with a grimace. Windbag stared for a moment.

"Shuddup…" he said before they both burst into snickers. "First though," Windbag continued, "There's the matter concerning Bowser. Obviously something's happened. No offense Ludwig, but your dad's a gigantic idiot…"

"I von't argue vith you," he muttered flatly.

"…Suffice to say, Kamek's a bigger problem now than ever, especially since we know Darkland's as good as gone as far as relations go…now, I'm just saying this, but I have no idea of the kind of crap he's going to pull…"

"Well, since we know Bowser's a bum compared to Kamek, we know whatever he _is_ going to do, that it won't be pretty," Gadd said in an oddly cheerful voice.

"Thank you, you are _not _helping!" Luigi said in the exact same ridiculously cheerful tone.

"I know," Gadd said, batting his eyes.

Kalliel had been sitting, staring intently at a spot on the table as he focused on his thoughts. Ludwig sipped his tea again. "Penny for your zoughts, dragon?" He asked, referring to his battle name.

Kalliel closed his eyes and shook his head with a smile, "Just thinking on what we still have to do. Personally, I look forward to seeing the Ice Spirit. It has been ages since I last spoke with him."

"Hey, yeah," Marius perked up, "What's he like? And ooh! What's he look like?"

"He is a great white wolf, massive in stature, an' breathtakin' to behold," Mac grinned. "'E's the patron of mah race," He continued, jabbing his chest proudly with his thumb. Sigurd bowed his head. The Ice Spirit to the Humans was another powerful Elemental Spirit. An Element that Luigi luckily had worked with while cleaning out the mansion. That pretty much did it: he had experience with Ice, Fire, and Water. He certainly was excited to visit this spirit. Though he hadn't seen the 'Lady of Fire' as Kalliel had referred, by witnessing Kalliel's unleashed form, he had gained a raw sense of admiration for the power of the Elemental Spirits and a curiosity on what animals each one was.

"When can we go?" Marius asked excitedly.

"Eh, le's pack some trainin' intae ye," Mac said easily. "Th' Tundra's are a dangerous place, mark mah words."

Windbag merely nodded, his prior silliness gone. "It's essentially a frozen desert, an expansive stretch of flatland that may leave us vulnerable if we are pursued by a strong foe."

Luigi gulped audibly.

"No worries though," I plan on employing a small company of fine warriors to escort us. We're not walking the whole way, it would take days to cross. Once we reach the Ice fields," Windbag paused as he pulled out a parchment map and spread it out on the table, pointing to the thick line that marked the border between the frozen wastes and the Northern Ice floes. "There's a large system of caves in this glacier," he tapped a spot on the map. It's a large permanent settlement of Sut-Ulfr. It's the most Northern Port in Iceland."

Luigi scratched his head, "Which ones are the 'Suts?'"

Mac jerked his thumb at Sigurd, "The ones tha' look like him." Sigurd's ears twitched as he stared at the General. Mac smirked. "Ah'll explain a wee bit for yeh. Ya have the Ulfr, which are th' ones like me. Grey, red, black, brown, all those lovely colors. We're a bit shorter than our cousins, but we're more southerly. Th' Sut-Ulfr come from th' Northern forests and the wastes. Huge brutes. White as snow. They're a bit on th' quiet side, but they are our berserkers. Natural born warriors. One o' them can take out an entire platoon in seconds. They fare more for the sea anyways. So they are usually our navigators an' such. Most of the Generals have been of their kind in th' past, give or take a few dozen."

"So it's not common to see a Southern Ulfr in charge?" Kalliel queried.

"Nae, no' usually. Not one to brag, but havin' a short temper and an urge to whoop up on everythin' certainly helps secure yer spot…" he chortled. "Ah didn't make it tae my position fer nothin'." He winked.

"So…what about Sigurd?" Luigi asked.

Windbag smiled. "We think he's something a bit more than your standard Sut-Ulfr. He's massive, not to mention the eyes and that mark. We've already seen that his bites affect shadow. Seems your little boo friend's do too," he inclined his head towards Maverick. "There's gotta be a connection, I'm just not sure what."

"Could be albinism," Gadd said.

"Nah," Mac shook his head. "Bein' an albino doesn't give you th' power tae tear shadow a new one…"

"Mav," Luigi said softly, having pondered everything just said, "take off your goggles, please." The boo looked curiously at him before shrugging off the headband. The moment he did, he began scratching at his forehead. "Look, see? I kind of had a hunch about that…what with all this talk about them being similar."

"Well hot-diggety…" Gadd breathed. A faint star-mark was barely visible between his rosy eyes. He dug at it again. "Mav…" Gadd grumbled. The boo stopped and grinned sheepishly. Windbag put his hand to his chin. "Kalliel, what do you make of this?"

"A clear connection, perhaps a magical property? It may be genetic…like albinism, but not. It obviously brings about an increase in size, muteness, and the ability to destroy shadow…I wonder…would your court magicians know anything about this?"

"Perhaps…I'll certainly get on that." As the others broke out into murmuring, Luigi continued to stare at Maverick's mark. Ludwig noticed this and leaned closer so he and Luigi could exchange words without eavesdroppers.

"Qvite a turn of events this little tale has taken, ja?"

"Tale?" Luigi wondered.

"Mmhmm…your story is unfurling, Luvigi, whether you are avare of it or not. I now find myself vithout a home or a kingdom. I have no choice but to help you, it seems. A task I am more than willing to now carry."

Luigi smiled in relief. "Thanks," he said quietly.

Ludwig's eyes locked onto Luigi's and his voice became an almost inaudible whisper. "You vill save my fazzer, will you?" There was a pregnant pause between the two. Luigi looked away for a single moment back towards the babbling group.

"Yeah," he said, his eyes returning to Ludwig's who remained unblinking. "You have my word. As long as we can get any help from you as possible."

Ludwig nodded once. "You have my vord, as vell, my friend, danke." He glanced at Windbag, "I must take my leave. Feel free to mail me at any time. Keep me posted. I can help you in more vays than you could possibly imagine. Luigi," he paused as he stood. "…good luck…" With that, he turned and strode out of the room, leaving the others staring after him. Footsteps were heard approaching the alcove. The group remained silent as Professor Nikolai Asimov rounded the corner draped in a thick fur coat and toting his shining rifle.

"Ah, Nikolai…I…" Windbag trailed off as he saw the livid face of his friend. His face, riding boots and even his fur coat were smudged with dirt and blood. "What's happened?"

"Come vith me, you need to see this…" He grimaced with a small hiss.


	41. Dragons

**Chapter 41: Dragons**

"What's wrong?" Luigi asked as they all hurried down the hallways and corridors. Windbag said nothing, but shook his head with a worried expression. A pit was forming in the king's stomach. Knowing Nikolai, the only time he was ever seen dirtied was when he had claimed yet another trophy.

They hurried through one of the side passages into the courtyard. Windbag had motioned for four Valdyr to accompany them as they hurried past the courtyard a few lengths into the forest. They came to a barred-off area where several Valdyr stood, spears crossed to keep out the rapidly growing circle of people gathered to get a closer look at the goings on. They still kept their distance from the King's personal warriors, they alone being frightening enough to deter even the most resilient of curiosities.

The two at the front uncrossed their spears long enough to let the king through with his company. Once inside the circle, they found several Valdyr captains standing over the bloodied corpse of a wolf. They stiffened in salute as the King approached. Luigi noted that the leader was massive and white, while the other two captains were shorter, just as well built, but one was russet-furred, while the other was a shade of charcoal grey. Luigi recognized the last as Geyma, the chief scout. The large Lowland Ulfr stepped forward and bowed, addressing his king.

"Minn Konungur , það virðast the veiðimaður hefur óvirkur annar…" he said in a deep gravelly voice. Luigi, Marius, Gadd, and Kalliel all stared at him. Mac, Sigurd, and the other guards grimaced in understanding.

"English, please, we have guests who are unaccustomed to our languages," Windbag said.

The Sut-Ulfr nodded respectfully and cleared his throat. "Forgive me," he spoke much slower, clearly showing that English was not his best language. "It seems the hunter has caughts another…you sees, ja?"

"Hey, Mac," Luigi asked. "Do you all speak the same language? Or…what?" it had been a question he had been eager to ask; the accent between the Southern highlands and Northern Lowlands tribes seemed so different. Mac nodded.

"Aye," the general trailed off as they approached the bloodied hulk. This wasn't exactly the best time for lengthy explanations. Luigi clapped his hand over his mouth to keep from crying out.

Nikolai walked over and nudged it with the tip of his rifle before giving it a great heave with his foot so that it lay facing up. It looked exactly like a normal Ulfr. Magnus paused.

"Anyone you know?" Nikolai asked emotionlessly. The king narrowed his eyes before shaking his head. After a nod and a brief pause, the small professor turned to Luigi and the others. He pointed to the corpse. "Do you know what this ees?" Luigi hesitated before shaking his head.

"Look, closely…" Nikolai said, voice dangerously level. "_These _are now your enemy…"

Luigi looked from the closest standing Ulfr to the heap at his feet and back. The one on the ground was shaggier, as if were somewhat flea-ridden and mangy, and its size (for the apparent fur-color) was kin to that of Sigurd. "I'm sorry, I don't…"

"Verevolf…" he spoke sharply.

"Oh…I see…" Luigi said numbly, noticing the large claws and enormous teeth poking out from under black gums.

"What's it doing so close to town?" Windbag asked, using two fingers to pry open the eyelid, yielding a look at the amber orb beneath.

"A rogue…" Geyma said quietly. He muttered something in Icelandic before nodding. "Thankfully the professor was nearby. I saw it sneaking around the backside of the farm while out on patrol…" He shook his shaggy head, "I had tried to tails it, but I lost it…So, I stopped to rest and, well…thankfully the professor was there, ja?" He swallowed.

"It didnae touch ye, did it?" Mac asked, eyebrows furrowing. The light breeze ruffled the pair of chieftain's feathers sticking out of his beret.

"No, thank the gods…"

"I want him thoroughly checked to be sure," Nikolai said dangerously. Geyma nodded and bowed before being escorted off by a larger Valdyr. After they were gone, Nikolai sighed. "They don't hunt in packs, so I don't expect to see anymore."

"Still…" Windbag grunted, rubbing his chin. "We won't be goin' anywhere for a while. Keep an eye out for more; let me know if you find anything."

Nikolai bowed formally, "Of course."

The king turned to his Valdyr. "Dispose of this!" He barked in Icelandic, pointing to the corpse.

"If I may be so rude as to interject, my lord; I would appreciate it if I may take the body for research."

Windbag and the guards froze for a moment. He nodded. "Very well," he gave a wave of his hand and the guards returned to their duties. Several of them could be heard trying to herd the onlookers away. "Git on wiv it, go on, the lot o' ya!"

Windbag gave Luigi's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Now don't go freaking out on me, they're really not all that common here. Are they still a problem in my country? Yes. Are they a number one threat? No. We treat them as if we would treat any large hunter. Geyma's curiosity was the only thing that almost got him in trouble." At this, he chuckled. "Not that I blame him. He is a scout, after all." Luigi nodded, preferring more to look around at the snow-dusted scenery to desperately try and scrape his mind of the image of the dead werewolf. His eye twitched slightly. Werewolves were real…all the stories he had heard had always scared the daylights out of him when he was a kid, but this topped it. Marius said the words that he had just started thinking.

"Wow…a real werewolf…" he smirked. "Heh…guess I'll have a lot to tell everyone back home, huh?" Marius asked him quietly.

Luigi swallowed and nodded, trying hard to keep from twitching again. Windbag squeezed his shoulder again as they stopped in front of a large wooden compound. He had forgotten that Windbag kept his hand on him. "Hey, kiddo, wake up. Where are you goin'?"

Luigi shook his head as he finally realized that he had stopped. He blinked a few times. The compound they had stopped in front of was absolutely enormous. Intricate knotwork snaked its way up the timbered columns to the peak of the roof, where a carved figurehead of a dragon sat. Windbag thrust the massive doors open, granting them views into the magnificence of the Dragon Stables.

Inside, the hall looked almost as massive as the dining hall in the castle. Enormous stalls lined the walls, padded with thick beds of soft sweet hay and furs. The elaborate carvings decorating the outside also adorned the inside timbers. The entire building smelled sweet, yet still carried that tang of powerful energies. Luigi had to stifle a gasp. Inside each of the stalls lay a large pearlescent white dragon. Light shone dully off of their iridescent scales in pinks and blues. Toads in caps of various light-colors hurried about, tending to the needs of the room's occupants.

"Dragons…" Marius gasped, his jaw hanging open slightly.

"Yep, yep. _Ice_ dragons, to be exact." Windbag dramatically swept his arm out in front of him. "Here, let me show you." He led them in front of a particularly grand dragon, obviously older and far more powerful than the others stabled around him. "Good evening, good sir, may I request a moment of your time?" Windbag asked him, bowing low with a wide grin.

The dragon clucked his tongue and shook his head. "Must you really be so _formal_?" The dragon asked fondly with a hint of playful sarcasm. He chuckled, a deep sound like boulders rumbling together. He turned his amber eyes to the party and smiled, scaly lips pulling back over gleaming teeth. "You may call me Skjold. I am a dear old friend of the king."

Luigi swallowed audibly. He took a shaky breath. "So…Ice dragon?" Skjold smirked before blowing a simple puff at one of the overhead chandeliers. His puff of breath came out as a fast-moving ball of white mist which, when touching the metal, solidified into a crystalline mass. Luigi, Marius, and Kalliel stood mesmerized by the glittering ice before being brought back by an excited cry.

"Weegee!!"

Luigi's mood and face lifted as he turned to see Pyewacket jumping up and down in his own stall. Compared to the other dragons, he was small, made even more apparent by the size of the sweet-smelling stall. His white-feathered wings fluttered and the sunlight streaming in through a nearby window shone on his mane, making look like live fire.

He trotted up to the gate and leapt up, perching on top of it, much to the alarm of several attendants. He hopped down and over to where the others stood. It had been almost a week since Luigi had the opportunity to see his friend. "Hey!" He smiled, wrapping his arms around Pyewacket's muzzle. He ruffled his mane fondly, "they've been keeping you busy?"

"I should certainly think so," Skjold chuckled, clearing his throat. "Pull up a seat; we have much to speak of." Several of the stable hands brought them large cushions for them to sit on. Skjold continued. "I have decided to take young Pyewacket under my wing, so to speak. I apologize for separating you two, but I've certainly had my work cut out for me…not to mention that it had been ages since I had laid eyes on a fire dragon."

Luigi, Marius, and Kalliel froze, feeling a sense of numb awe spreading over their bodies. They looked at Pyewacket, who grinned sheepishly. "Pyewacket not know either, Weegee…honest…" Luigi stared at him, mouth agape.

"When I said I'd take him under my wing, I meant in training him. Teaching him proper speech, proper use of his abilities. I've only just began touching on flying lessons. A prince cannot go very far in life without proper speech craft skills…though, there's still a long way to go…and I am honestly starting to think that it would be a waste of time…" He peered down at Pyewacket who wrinkled his nose slightly.

"Py-…m-…" He stammered for a minute, trying to control a small outburst. Pyewacket sighed, but looked up at his mentor. "Pyewacket no longer prince…He'ssa free yoshi…"

Skjold raised an eyebrow. "Mmm." He continued to look at him. With a smile, he softened, "You are a warrior, young one, prince or not. Though you are free, you stand with the task of protecting your friends and loved ones. I regret not asking for your full story, now I understand. We have been too busy with lessons. Tell me, how did you come to leave your kingdom?"

Luigi urged him on with a smile. Pyewacket nodded and concentrated. "Dere wazza three shadow-beasts. Pyewacket was on lookout…make-a alla clan safe." His voice darkened as he remembered that night form several months ago."Shadow-cats take us by surprise…Pyewacket falla long-way into de sea and, when Pyewacket came back to village, bad things-a happen. Pyewacket cast-away for it." He paused in silence, a lump growing in his throat. He missed Chief Osman, his father, Barli the guard captain. The other fledglings, too. The thought of Luigi's arrival brought new warmth to his tale. "But…Weegee came to village to help. Clan shaman had, well…" he looked to Luigi. He hadn't been present for the duration of Luigi's stay in his village.

"He sold us out, basically," Luigi finished. Pyewacket gave him a relieved look as he allowed him to finish the story. "The three Manticores, the shadow beasts he told you about, came back and tried to ambush us. See, we had come to the island looking for the sword of Lazarus the Bright and we found it, but the shaman had absconded with it during the attack. Needless to say, I had a little run-in with Pyewacket after I escaped and in a nutshell, we went back and took him out."

"Not before he turned into this huge undead dragon thingy." Marius said with several erratic hand gestures. He looked over at Luigi's smirking face. "Stop…shutupdon'tlaughatme."

Gadd chuckled, "No denyin' yer species."

"Alla-us beat him, though," Pyewacket chimed, confidence bolstered by the others. "Pyewacket come back with dem since dey were done and… wasn't… was cast-away…" He shook his head irritably. Skjold sat silently for a moment, front paws folded over each other.

"I must say that is quite a tale."

"Just the tip of the iceberg," Gadd said, arms folded.

"Indeed."

They all sat momentarily in silence. Luigi sunk back against the large cushion, allowing his eyes to flutter shut. The warmth of the stables, the sweet smell of fresh soft hay and lingering ceremonial incense, the quiet noises of the dragons around them. That brought him back to his attention. Dragons.

"Skjold?"

"Yes, my child."

"You said Pyewacket was a fire dragon," Luigi stated, thinking back over the events of the past few weeks.

"I did. See, in ages past, we were all similar in species. Eons ago, mind you. When the continents split, some of us moved north, others moved south. The ones who moved south settled onto the splits of land that later became the Dinosaur isles and Isla Tortuga and Isle Delfino. They are the fire dragons. Feathery wings, lack of heavy scales, long back legs for speed." He smiled down at the young blue 'dragon' in front of him. "…And a mane like fire." He gestured with his head to the dragons. "Myself and my brethren. Our kind stayed in the north. Heavy coats of white scales, thick leathery wings, stocky. We are not meant for speed."

"Call them our living 'tanks,'" Windbag smirked as he stood and patted Skjold on the nose. "Maybe we'll go for an outing later, I'll show you," He smiled at Luigi. Luigi nodded, excited at the prospect. He looked over at Pyewacket, who was now calmly seated on the floor with his legs tucked beneath him. Pyewacket. A dragon. It all made tremendous sense now. Not only that, but Skjold had alluded to the fact that Yoshis were descendents of fire dragons. Many a time he had seen Yoshi ingest a specific item, sprout large feathery wings and breathe fire. How he never noticed it, he probably would never know.

"At any rate," Skjold continued, "I will be training the former prince; it seems his fire-breathing could use a little practice. Flight will come later." At this, Pyewacket blinked at him and swallowed. He had never learned to fly, and quite honestly was a little terrified by the prospect. Not of flying, but of failing. The last time he tried and failed had been on the island, and it had sent him and Luigi crashing into the ravine far below.

"One moment, Luigi." Skjold stopped the young man. "You spoke of the Manticores. What of that shaman. How did he become a monster?"

Luigi turned to face him as he thought. "They planted a black crystal in…his…heart…" Realization dawned on him. "Oh no." He turned to Kalliel and the professor. "The shards!"

The professor's face dropped. Kalliel calmly looked on before speaking. "Hrolf and Randulf placed them in a small box in your things. Calm yourself."

Luigi let out a shaky breath. "Oh…alright." Though being around those things made him sick, he really wanted to go check his stuff to make sure the words he heard were true. It was Kalliel, though, so he really did feel a sense of ease. "Sorry. We haven't even hardly taken them out or spoken about them since we got back from the islands, I guess." It had been several months since anyone had even spoken about them.

Windbag squared his jaw before looking up at him. "Go and get them and meet me in my room." He paused. "Bring your sword, too."

The company watched him as he strode out on his heel.

Later, Luigi rummaged through his things before pulling out a small leather sack. Inside, he found a small white box, the contents of which were two glittering black crystals. A small wave of powerful nausea formed in his stomach and he closed the box again, grabbing the large battle sword next to his nightstand by the scabbard before exiting his chambers and heading down the icy corridor. By now, the sun had begun to set, tingeing the sky and halls of the castle orange and purple. He stopped in front of Windbag's door and readjusted his belongings before knocking. The door swung open and he stepped into an all familiar room. He immediately recognized it as the small private dining chamber that he had first met King Windbag in, when he and the king had been turned to dogs shortly after that.

"C'mere, Luigi," Windbag's gruff reply sounded. Mac and Sigurd, Mav and Marius, and Kalliel and the Professor all stood behind him. "I dunno about you, but we should get rid of those crystals before anything else happens. You say these are what turned that Yoshi shaman into some kind of dead monster?"

"Yeah, I did." Luigi stopped and stared down at the small white box in his palm. "I knew they were dangerous and I can't believe I forgot about them."

"If they have that kind of power to do that…"

"It's best if we get rid of them…" Luigi growled, his face set. They had been for the longest time, just small trinkets. After thinking about all they had been through, the black arts they had seen, and who they were associated with, he wanted to just throw them out the window. "How do we get rid of them?" His face looked angry.

Windbag smiled softly. "Easy. You read my mind. Put them over here." He led them into his forge room and pointed to the anvil. "That's why I had you bring your sword. Lesson one of this position. This sword and the Key combined can do just about anything. This sword is the instrument with which you will destroy evil. The Key is something you will seal it away with."

Luigi set the black crystals on the anvil and unsheathed his sword. He scowled at the hatefully beautiful little things, took a few deep breaths to calm himself. It was then that Kalliel placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Luigi turned and looked into the face of his distant cousin. Kalliel was smiling determinedly with a glint in his eye that sparked a light of new faith in Luigi. Each piece destroyed of Kamek now was one less one he'd have later. "Go ahead."

Luigi nodded and licked his lips. He heaved the great sword above his head. For an instant, he stared at the Shards, watching how the dim firelight of the forge gleamed off the faceted surfaces. For some bizarre reason, he remembered something that the Star gate had said on a journey with his brother. That his heart was a multi-faceted gem. Why something so dark and evil was reminding him of such a righteous statement, he wasn't sure, but for some reason, he felt a small bit of draw to the shards of crystal. He snuffed that in an instant as he brought the sword down. It cleaved through the air and struck the anvil with a sharp ring, bringing with it the tinkling of shattering glass. He looked at the crumbled pieces of the two crystals, and gasped as they slowly turned into sparkles of light and disappeared into the air like steam rising from a pond in winter. It reminded him of when he destroyed the shadow fragment back on the island after Nardis fell.

"I know I can certainly breathe better with those instruments of darkness gone," Kalliel sighed, crossing his arms and nodding.

"I think we all can," Marius replied quietly, looking to Luigi with large, brown eyes.

"Is mind-control the only thing they can do?" Luigi asked Kalliel and Windbag. They both shook their heads.

"The shards are conduits of shadow energy. Remember, they are from the crystal that enslaved Kamek. His energies are soaked into the very structure." Kalliel informed him.

Luigi was silent, but sheathed his sword. With a new sense of eagerness, he turned to the king and smiled. "Tomorrow morning, will you teach me?"

"Hmm?" Windbag raised his eyebrows.

"How to fight, Ice magic…and, I'd really like to learn how to shoot a bow," Luigi said, rubbing the back of his head and adjusting his had.

"Yeah, me too, please," Marius grinned. Luigi turned to him. "Hey, maybe tomorrow, we can get a hold of a map and try to find your hometown."

"Oh? An Iceland native?" Windbag asked with a growing smile.

"I'm not sure, exactly," Marius said as he rubbed his head. "I can't remember. I'm from the North just…I don't know how far. Luigi's already cast a spell that'll hopefully help restore my memory. I just…need a bit more prompting. It's very important to me."

"I understand, son," Windbag smiled as he patted Marius on his head. Mac and the King looked at Luigi. The giant Ulfr General spoke, "Well, nao be th' time tae get some grub." He smirked eagerly. "Ah'll bet Kamek's gonna be mighty sore when 'e finds out we gone an' destroyed some o' his precious crystals."

They all agreed and headed down to the dining hall.

Once there, they were all subject to a round of thunderous cheering. Mac had delivered a quick speech saying that they had destroyed some pieces of the enemy. That had been enough for celebration for them all. Luigi and Windbag sat laughing while they ate, talking back and forth. Mac, on the other hand sat on a nearby table surrounded by several soldiers with instruments. The chatter quieted as his strong voice rose and fell in a beautiful ballad introduction.

"_Farewell ye dungeons dark and strong,_

_A wretch's destiny,_

_McPherson's time will no' be lang,_

_On yonder gallows tree."_

He smirked when he said his name in the song. Windbag nudged Luigi, "He wrote this one himself, it's pretty good."

"_It was by a woman's treacherous hand,_

_That I was condemned tae dee,_

_She stood upon a windae ledge,_

_And a blanket threw over me,_

_Sae rantingly, sae wantonly,_

_And sae dauntingly did he,_

_He played a tune and he danced aroond,_

_Below the gallows tree."_

By the second verse the tempo had picked up and several young ladies were dancing with handsome young men. This was a country of song and celebration. Where even the slightest victory boasted means for joy. It was a warm and welcome change, so Luigi settled back and smiled, taking in the rich tones of the General as he sang his own ballad for everyone.

"_Oh, what is death, but parting breath,_

_On many a bloody plain,_

_I've daur'd his face, and in his place,_

_I scorn him yet again,_

_Sae rantingly, sae wantonly,_

_And sae dauntingly did he,_

_He played a tune, and he danced aroond,_

_Below the gallows tree._

A slender young Ulfr maiden had approached Luigi and asked him for a dance. He obliged with a slight blush. Another approached the tiny professor. It didn't take long for him to accept. "Hubba, hubba…" He smirked.

"Behave, you're too old for her," Luigi taunted as he placed one hand on the lass's waist and took her other in his hand before following the simple movements of the upbeat, slowly twirling jig.

"Aw shush, let an old man have his fun," He playfully stuck his tongue out at Luigi. "Don't steal my thunder."

"_I have lived a life, o' straught and strife,_

_I die by treachery,_

_It burns my heart that I must depart,_

_An no avenged be,_

_Sae rantingly, sae wantonly,_

_And sae dauntingly did he,_

_He played a tune and he danced aroond,_

_Below the gallows tree."_

With that, the general finished after a flourish of his guitar. "Sounds like there's more!" Luigi called over the clamor of applause.

"Aye, there is. Best tae not give it all at once, lad. Leave 'em wanting more," he winked. Luigi laughed heartily before turning back to his lovely dance partner. She curtsied and disappeared amid the throngs.

"Seems you've met Constance." Windbag said when Luigi had returned.

"Constance?"

"Yeah, shy girl, really quiet, but she's a court-mage-in-training. A damn powerful one at that," He smirked. "She idolizes you. If she hadn't had that coat of fur, she'd be blushing her poor little heart out. You are her hero, lad."

"Someone's hero…? Me?" Luigi asked, bewildered.

"Yeah…uh oh," Windbag grinned. Luigi followed his line of sight until he spied Sigurd, who had just entered the hall, set upon by Constance. The she-wolf has giddily asked him to dance with her as Mac and his company started up the next song. Sigurd held up one finger before turning and pulling a rose out of one of the sconces on the wall and handing it to her. She beamed at him and Luigi agreed with Windbag, had she not had a coat of fur, he would have seen her blush.

"That's so sweet, are they in love?" He asked as Constance took Sigurd by one huge paw and led him to the floor.

"I certainly would have to say so." Windbag laughed heartily before raising his cup to the happy young couple. "For his size, Sigurd's not that old. Age-wise they're about the same. About nineteen or twenty for her. About twenty-one for him. They're a couple of start-struck kids by the looks of it."

Luigi felt a genuine happiness for Sigurd; a warm fuzzy feeling that made him smile. He continued to smile as his thoughts wandered back to Daisy.

_Just wait, Daisy. I'm coming back._


	42. Revelations

**Chapter 42: Revelations**

Several long days passed for the group as a blizzard ravaged the land, making time slow for everyone. Kalliel often suggested to Luigi that training would help ease the passage of time. Thus, the young man found company with the other young army recruits at the behest of his 'elders,' When the weather finally cleared.

"Trust me, it's still a good idea," Kalliel said one morning as Luigi rubbed a crick out of his rather sore neck.

"Jeez…how long has this got to keep up? I'm not much of a hard hitter like Windbag is, y'know…" He shrugged his shoulders as the two walked down the icy corridor before sunrise. "Need for speed…ow…" he grunted as he stretched his arms above his head.

Kalliel merely chuckled as he adjusted his leather training gambeson. "I understand. Build your strength. No sense in going into a fight that involves a lot of dodging when you don't have the endurance to keep it up," He said, slipping a chainmail tunic over his head and shoulders. "That's why I'm training with you. Being in a spiritual form for a long period of time is frightfully hard on one's body."

"C'mon, cut the act, you kick my butt every time we spar," Luigi said flatly, as he buckled his sword-belt around his waist.

"Hey! You're truly getting better," Kalliel said with a smile, holding his hands up. "I find myself increasingly hard-pressed to guard against you. Your attacks are more deliberate. I enjoy watching this progress."

The two were silent for a moment as Luigi thought. "I wonder how Pyewacket's doing. Skjold's been keeping him pretty busy."

A door to their side opened as Marius toppled out, fighting with his belt.

"Ah!" He said as he flailed on his back. "Aw, gosh-darnit!" He looked up at the bewildered men. "Hi…um…unhappy turtle, unhappy turtle," He grinned up at them as he wiggled a bit, stuck on his back from the curvature of his shell. Luigi swiftly helped him up. "Thanks, bud." He smiled. He then pelted off down the hall, "Race you to the grounds!" He called over his shoulder as Kalliel and Luigi took off full tilt after him.

"Atten-TION!" Mac called as his new recruits snapped to attention. Kalliel and Marius skidded to a halt in salute just in time. Maverick materialized out of the thin air before Luigi lost his footing on a patch of ice and slid into a snow bank. The new recruits suppressed a few snickers as Luigi clambered out of the powdery pile to come face-to-face with the grinning boo. Maverick chirped before giving him an enormous lick, covering his face with saliva.

"Well, well, g'morning, champ," He said quietly so as not to disturb morning parade. He quickly got up and stood next to his mentor as Mac finished giving out orders for the morning. "Nao, ev'ryone get in yer groups. We're leavin' in a week for th' north." At this, Mac paused and smiled at the new recruits, taking in the various heights of his new soldiers. Humans, toads, Ulfr, even one or two goombas all stared back at him, doe-eyed at the thought of a new adventure. Several of them looked a wee bit out of place-a few pieces of armor or helmets that were too big for them. One prime example was a thin, young, human boy, whose helmet hung down over his eyes and partially covered his round face. "It's gaenna be a lot o' walkin' an' we need tae get ye all ready tae carry yer own armor. Ah'll leave ye wi' my lieutenants, make me proud, lads an' lassies!" With that, he threw a casual salute and plodded off. The company separated into several groups, each lead by a stately-looking toad with a yellow-spotted cap, who immediately began barking orders.

Sticking with Luigi, Maverick followed him over to the farthest group while Kalliel and Marius chose different groups. They were given pikes before being ordered to stand in two rows. The lieutenant barked his commands as they began wielding their weapons.

"Thrust!" The order rang as they lowered their pikes and uniformly pushed forward. "…And, thrust!" They all did what they were told, fluidly. "…And, switch!! Thrust, block, swing!" The result was a flurry of attacks that turned into more of a dance. On and on they continued.

"Take a breather, boys…er, and girls," the lieutenant corrected himself as a pink-capped toadette 'humph'-ed at him. The sun had risen above the parade ground walls. Had it already been a few hours? Either way, Luigi leaned his pike against the wall and stretched, wiping the sweat from his brow before shivering a bit. Sure, he had worked up a sweat from the exertion, but the chill quickly bit at him. It was then he noticed that the new recruits at the very least, all had scarves or something.

He rubbed at his arms for a few minutes before seeing the young man with the too-large helmet approach him. His helmet still sat at a funny angle. He adjusted it as he handed Luigi a length of cloth not unlike the scarf around his neck, which Luigi had noticed, had been pulled up over his nose to keep out the chill.

"Oh, thanks," He accepted it gratefully as the young man cleared his throat and spoke.

"Don't mention it. We'll be travelling together next week, right, sir?" he asked. His voice, Luigi noted, was still very young and he spoke with a light hint of Mac's accent. "Best to make nice."

"Are you okay? Your voice sounds a little…strained…" Luigi said as he wrapped the scarf around his neck. The boy cleared his throat again. "Y-yeah…I've been getting a little stuffy lately, is all…"

"Well, don't push yourself too hard, okay? What's your name?"

"Huh?" the boy stopped, somewhat surprised by the question. "Oh…my name's Da…Darrell…" he shuddered a bit, drawing his loose armor tighter around him. He readjusted his helmet, which had fallen over his eyes again. When he lifted it, Luigi couldn't help but notice that he had vivid blue eyes, just like his own. They looked sort of familiar, as if he had been looking into the mirror. Then again, Iceland was known for having the greatest concentration of Star-descendants. Maybe, just maybe, this kid had a few drops of that blood in him.

"Well, then, pleased to meet you, Darrell. I'm looking forward to this campaign together." With that, Luigi waved and wandered away towards Kalliel.

Kalliel was busy stretching himself as Luigi walked up. "I'm heading to the stables, wanna join me?"

"Of course," Kalliel smiled as they turned and walked. Maverick opted to stay behind with Marius, who was beginning to ball up a pile of snow. Luigi had a feeling growing in his stomach that he was about to start a major snowball fight. He smiled and kept walking away at a brisk pace. _Let him have his outlet…_ he thought to himself.

When they arrived at the stables, they were a bit surprised to find it half-empty. Most of the dragons had been taken out on patrol, according to one of the toadish stable-hands. "If you are looking for Lord Skjold and Prince Pyewacket, they are out back in the clearing."

The two knights exited and made their way back to a large clearing, where the great ice dragon stood on all fours, watching Pyewacket. The blue dragon was hopping about, flapping frantically. At one point, he crouched and leapt into the air, beating his great feathery wings as he did so. Luigi watched as he rose a good twenty feet before floundering back down to earth. He stopped, panting and wings drooping.

"Are you done?" Skjold asked with a smirk. Pyewacket glowered at him for a moment and sighed, "Yessah…Pyewacket just a bit…stir-crazy…"

At this, Skjold chuckled, a deep rumbling sound. "Welcome Luigi, Master Kalliel. Seems as though we've all been 'oot and aboot,' as Mac would say…" He eyed the two. "Windbag expressed his interest to go on a bit of a ride today, that is, if you two are willing and ready?"

"Of course," Luigi smiled. This would be good: something low-key and not stressful.

"I am merely waiting on my wayward human, when he arrives, we shall-"

"Arrival! Yah, Mush!" Windbag said as he leapt into the air and onto the dragons back with a goofy grin. Skjold looked at him quizzically. "Or…not, whatever. You ready to go?" Kalliel stared at him in astonishment for a moment. His leaping skills were just as good as Luigi's.

"Uh, sure…" Luigi said.

"What just happened?" Skjold said, staring at Luigi before chuckling. Windbag chortled. "Well, Kalliel, I had one of the other dragons agree to accompany us," his statement was accented as another ice dragon trotted into the clearing. He stopped and bowed.

"Of course, you majesty." He nimbly climbed aboard as Luigi seated himself on top of Pyewacket. With everyone situated, they headed out of the clearing at a brisk trot.

"So, has he been keeping you busy?" Luigi asked as he scratched his mount's neck, watching the way the light danced in his shining red mane.

"Oh ya…We's-a been working on flapping, finally…Big-dragon say with Pyewacket's wings, it shouldn't be a problem to sky-soar. Pyewacket not used to flying and since Pyewacket had broken wing, it's been big problem." The slight island accent that was reminiscent of his father's was apparent now more than ever.

Luigi thought for a moment as they trotted. "Maybe you just need a running start. Y'know, get some wind beneath them." Pyewacket nodded in thought. "Maybe."

"Well now, I figured we could see if the ice floes are close enough together to get up to a good vantage point, give you a view of the whole kingdom," Windbag said, once they had left the forested dale and began meandering uphill.

To Luigi and Magnus, this was an excellent time for the exchange of pleasant banter. Out on the ride with beautiful skies (surprisingly) and glittering snow, there was nothing to bother them. No thoughts of the Shadow, the Manticores, or of werewolves, for that matter. Kalliel couldn't help but close his eyes. This icy world was a stark contrast to the burning sands of his ancient home. He had told Luigi before that he had not seen snow since travelling in Chai. The sounds of the other two faded into the background and Kalliel thought back. Back through the years of lying asleep, back past the battle that had claimed his life and his order, back to the time when he had first become the Knight of Eidolon and had first met his beloved.

Her smiling face beamed beautifully at him, sapphire eyes gleaming merrily as she welcomed him into her arms in a memory from so long ago. Celine… Oh how they had despised each other when they first met. He had been, in her eyes, a cocky bastard, and to him, she appeared a snobbish prude. It didn't help that their upbringings had been entirely different. He snapped his eyes open and brought himself back from his reverie. He opened his mouth to speak, but was halted as they stopped at the top of a high, rocky knoll.

"Why did we stop?" Luigi asked as he looked around. Large ice floes hovered in the air, some near, some far away. High overhead, he watched as a small group of hard-shelled winged beetles flew by in a 'V'-formation.

"'Cuz we're going up there," Windbag pointed to the top of a large, flat-topped ice floe in the sky. "Ready?"

"No." Luigi was confused. Pyewacket couldn't fly, how were they expecting to get up there?

"Great, let's go!" Windbag gently tapped his heels to Skjold's side and the dragon lurched forward, leaping from the outcropping to the nearest chunk of ice.

"Oh, Pyewacket get it," Pyewacket grinned, furrowing his brows in determination. Luigi gripped his mane, feeling just as eager.

"Come on, Kiddo!" Windbag called.

Pyewacket bounded forward and leapt, nimbly landing and leaping again with large bounds. Higher and higher they went, not pausing to stop, lest they lose their footing. The three dragons leapt swiftly, their riders relishing the feel of the icy wind in their faces. Pyewacket grinned as he landed and sprinted forward on a long, flat strip before jumping out. His momentum carried him gracefully through the air, wings partially open to allow a bit of a glide. Luigi laughed, looking down at the ground far below.

Pyewacket brought his long, muscular legs forward, preparing to land. There was an earth-shattering crack as Skjold dove through the ice floe, shattering it before spreading his wings and taking flight.

"Whoa! What the hell are you doing!?" Windbag shouted, gripping the dragon.

"And now, young prince, you will fly!"

Luigi and Pyewacket both felt the bottom drop out of their stomachs as they plummeted with the broken shards of crystal ice. "LUIGI!" Kalliel shouted, urging his dragon to take flight.

"Calm yourselves," Skjold said sternly, "I will not allow them to perish." Windbag stared tensely as Kalliel nodded. The two ice dragons ceased their hovering and dove after them.

Pyewacket and Luigi tumbled as they fell. "Not again…" Luigi hissed as the cold wind gnawed at his face and fingers. Pyewacket tried to right himself to spread his wings. "C'mon, open your wings!" Though the ground was still far below, it was rapidly getting closer.

Pyewacket's breath caught in his throat as he tried to extend his wings. Images of their last earth-bound plummet flashed through his mind, and with it came the memory of a broken wing.

"_Wee's gonna dieee!" _

"_You've got wings!" Luigi said, slicing the vine off as they fell. The two feathery wings unfurled, arousing a scream of pain from the Prince. "Can't you fly?_

"_No! Pyewacket no fly…can't-a fly…Broken wing!"_

_Luigi noticed how it was sticking out at a weird angle… so that was why he had them bound. The Yoshi floundered about with his wings, trying in vain to slow their descent as they fell down…down…down._

"_Hang on!" Luigi yelled, gripping the blue dinosaur for dear life as he took a deep breath and held it._

He was petrified at the thought of failing again. Luigi, clinging for dear life, brought himself closer to Pyewacket's ear. "Come on, now. You can do it, no broken wing this time!" He yelled over the roar of the wind. "You're stronger now, bigger, you can do this!" He spoke fast.

Pyewacket thought back to his father and how proud he would be if he could see his son flying. "Weegee, what does-a Pyewacket do!?!"

"Do what feels right!" Luigi buried his face in Pyewacket's neck, trying to suppress a scream.

Pyewacket let his legs straighten out behind him. At this, he angled out so that he plummeted straight down. He closed his eyes and his wings for a moment before opening them both. What happened then, completely threw them off. Their direction was instantly changed, knocking the wind out of Luigi. They had leveled out. Pyewacket gasped. "Weegee!! I'm…I'm flyin'!!!"

"Not yet, you're not," Luigi said ecstatically, "Flap, we're losing altitude!" Pyewacket glanced in both directions at his outstretched wings before flapping downward. The first few flaps were extremely awkward and they threatened to throw them both from the sky. It didn't take long for Pyewacket to get used to it. Even the slightest sensation of the wind on each feather became apparent. Just from how it felt, he soon figured it out. He turned slightly, adjusting his wings as he did so. Looking up, he noticed the other two dragons descending with huge grins.

"I knew you were ready," Skjold said matter-of-factly. Pyewacket stared at him for a moment, preparing to utter a cross remark. He paused and finally decided to let it go. What did it matter? At the moment, nothing could bother him. "Come, let us climb," Skjold said, throwing his great, scaly head upwards and flapping mightily. Pyewacket watched for a moment before Luigi urged him onward. They both noticed that the feeling of flight was identical to swimming. Pyewacket climbed higher and higher, faster and faster, allowing his great, feathery wings to pull him through the air. The Ice floe they aimed for was extremely broad and flat. It would certainly make landing easier, especially since they all knew this was to be Pyewacket's first real landing. Skjold landed at one end while Kalliel's mount brought himself to a sudden halt in midair before dropping to the ice at the other end.

"Easy now," Luigi said as Pyewacket extended his legs in front of him. He tried to mimic the other dragon's landing, but it resulted in a mess as he hit the ice and became a tumble of legs and wings. Luigi slid towards the edge, only to be snagged by the shirt collar at the last second by Skjold's powerful jaws.

After setting him back down, he looked to the young prince as he picked himself sorely off the ice. "Trial and error, my boy. Though, true, we could've picked a better place for learning, but no better way to learn than being thrust into it headfirst."

"Keep doin' that and you're gonna get these kids killed," Windbag said as he slid off his mount. He helped Luigi up and waited for them all to catch their breaths. Skjold took this time to give Pyewacket a few instructions on successful takeoff and landing, showing him how to hold his wings.

While the dragons conversed, Luigi went to the edge of the floe and looked out at the vast expanse of green and white that made up Iceland. "Wow…" He breathed. "You weren't kidding about the view."

The landscape stretched on and on in all directions, with the Isskastali glittering beneath them; ice floes hung in the air of all sizes at all altitudes. To the South in the distance, Luigi could barely make out the fringe of tall mountains and the magical storm curtain past the thick, snow-covered fir forests. To the North, a thick fringe of forest stopped at the base of the hills, giving way to the expanse of the great Ice fields. He paused for a moment, remembering the vision from Madame Clairvoya's crystal ball. Now that Pyewacket could fly, he realized that the vision was closer than he could ever dream.

"Gorgeous, isn't it?" Windbag said proudly. Luigi could only stare breathlessly.

"In all my years, never had I seen such a beautiful land," Kalliel said quietly. "Luigi…I think it's time that I rewarded you with my story."

"'Bout time," he smirked.

Kalliel smiled with a raised eyebrow before turning back and taking in the landscape for a few moments. "I told you before that I was born in the Desert lands…Originally, though, I was not intended to be the true knight of Eidolon." Luigi sat down on the ice with his legs hanging over the side. It didn't take long for Windbag and Kalliel to do the same.

"I was born the nephew of the present knight, at that time, of course. Growing up, there was nothing I wanted more than to be a knight. Being as one of the 'Secondary' house, as they called it, our family made their own way in the world. We were pretty well off, but…my mother died when I was young and my father was a casual adventurer who went on a patrol with my uncle…and... He had been killed taking an arrow that was meant for him. When I found out, I was enraged. How could one man with so many men at his disposal allow his brother to die in his stead? Of course at that time I was, for lack of a better word, an asshole, and I resented my uncle for it, if only briefly. So, I ran…though, being as young as I was, I realized very quickly that I was alone and frightened. My uncle took me in and told me of what really happened. He told me that my father had given his life freely, saying as he did…" at this, Kalliel chuckled, "…in that cocky way of his, that he would be damned if he had to let his brother die." He looked to Luigi, who was staring at him with a strong sense of understanding. "So, I agreed, and returned home with him. I was only eight at the time of my father's passing. My uncle became as a second father to me, much to the anger of my older cousin, pompous git that he was…you see, he was next in line to become the knight when his father abdicated…at least, he thought. Before I had attempted to run away, I had discovered that I had an affinity for water magic; I could bend it to my will…to make an extremely long story simplistically short. Later, I learned to refine it so I could bring a small rain shower when I called, but that's another story for another time," Kalliel smiled sheepishly at the thought. Several mishaps had apparently occurred. "Still, having my father's sense of adventure, I took to treasure-hunting. Being a tomb-raider is an extremely dangerous profession in the deserts, but for me it paid off."

"You were a thief at one time?" Luigi grinned.

"Of sorts." Kalliel stared at him, "Don't look at me like that, it's a good excuse." He cleared his throat before continuing. "As such, I had the thief's luck and mentality. It sharpened my wits and my tongue which got me into a great deal of trouble later…" He shook his head, "Anyway…I'll skip ahead a great deal…At the age of fifteen, my cousin was presented the sword, so that he could formally begin training. The sword…did not react to him. In a rage, he cast it away. When I retrieved it…it began to sparkle and glow in my hands." Kalliel began laughing, "Oh how you should have seen my cousin's face then! He hated me so. It pleased several people to see the young man be put in his place, but it also meant that I was to carry the sword and the titles. I was terrified. It was certainly not what I expected. I was a lad of fourteen at the time, I believe...

"What is this? Why won't it work?!" The young man bellowed in fury as he flung the sword away from him. It clanged to the marble floor and skittered away. It spun several timed before being stopped by a booted foot. Kalliel flicked his eyes down at the beautiful blade before returning his gaze to the angered knight-inherent.

"Why, Father?! You said it would choose me!" the dark-skinned boy complained. His light, shining armor reflected the light streaming in from the windows.

"Rukah, keep your temper under control…you could have injured someone gravely!" The Eidolon knight scolded angrily, his deep amber surcoat rippling slightly over his chainmail. Kalliel chose to ignore the bickering as he looked down and saw his reflection in the sword's metal. His lean face was dark and handsome, with dark eyebrows over deep sapphire eyes. His chin was free of a goatee, but his shaggy, sable hair was mostly shoulder length. Wearing nothing more than travelers pants, mid-calf boots, and an open vest, the boy looked more like he belonged in one of the travelling caravans and not a fortress. Idly, he played with the curved dagger hanging from his belt; the fruit of one of his excursions into the forgotten tombs of the Desert. Often times he had been scolded, saying that he was too young for such reckless behavior, but Kalliel was stubborn and rash, and all too hot-headed.

Kalliel idly turned his attention to a large bowl of water on the ledge at his side. A single lotus floated at it center. He dipped his finger in and proceeded to twirl it, causing small ripples to form as the water snaked in upward spirals around his hand. He glanced around. No one had noticed.

A loud angered comment from Rukah brought his attention back to the squabble and he smirked evilly, allowing the water to slide back into its container, "Sounds to me like the princeling is a wee bit spoiled…" He grinned, crossing his arms.

"Kalliel, please, not now…" his uncle sighed, rubbing is temples. His son's ire exploded then.

"Oh, what then, you think you can do any better, you filthy rat? Go crawl back to your dungeons; I'm sure the Mousers could use some company. You're nothing but an orphan urchin!"

Kalliel narrowed his eyes and grit his teeth. "Oh believe me," he said venomously. "I could easily dispose of you if I wanted. I gravely fear for the order…If you're its future, then pray to the gods, all is doomed," Kalliel taunted, putting his hands up as if to shield himself from the gods' wrath.

"Filthy pig…" Rukah growled.

"Enough!" the knight growled. "You two are almost men, act like men!" He glared at both of them before they looked at each other and drew their weapons.

"Cease!" The knight bellowed, casing the room to resonate with power. "I will not have my kinsmen shedding blood in this palace!" He looked at Kalliel, "Bring me the sword, please." Rukah continued to glare at him as he picked the sword up. It was heavy, but felt good in his hands, well balanced and powerful. He was halfway across the room when there was a powerful flash. The sword in his hands was glowing and sparkling.

"What…? Oh, No!! No, no, no!" Kalliel dropped it to the floor as the servants and court members gaped. "Not me, oh no, no! I'm not even from the main house!" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the princeling knight twitch angrily before stalking out. His uncle stared at him.

"For some strange reason…this does not come as a surprise to me…"

Kalliel laughed as he continued his narrative. "I was ecstatic at the thought of having and inheriting such powers."

"Didn't you tell me before that you were knighted at sixteen?" Luigi asked.

"I did, and I was. Of course I had to undergo rigorous training and…" he grimaced, "…etiquette training…for two years…" He pulled a face at the thought, like clearing his mouth of a bad taste. "Worst part of it," he said lowly so just Luigi could hear him.

"Aw, come on," Windbag playfully slapped him in the back of the head. "Don't tell me you didn't love bossing people around," he grinned as Kalliel rubbed the back of his head. He couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, okay."

Luigi stared back out at the landscape again. He couldn't believe Kalliel used to be a tomb raider of all things. His straight-laced friend certainly didn't seem like the type to go looking for trouble. Not now, at least. A strong gust blew and both humans and dragons turned towards the north, where dark storm clouds were rapidly approaching. A few tendrils of cloud snaked their way in front of the sun as the wind picked up.

"Well, so much for a beautiful day. Come on, kids, let's get back where it's warm," Windbag said, offering his hands and pulling both men up. They said nothing as they quickly mounted their dragons. With great flaps, the ice dragons spread their leathery wings and leapt off the side of the ice floe. Luigi patted Pyewacket on the neck. "Ready?"

"Yessa…well, here goes nothing!" He wound himself up for the jump when a particularly strong gust caught his partially opened wings and lifted him off. He kept a bleat of surprise in as he allowed himself to dive and pick up speed before opening his feathery wings. This second flight was still somewhat shaky, but still nonetheless exhilarating. Pressed on by the coming storm, they spiraled down and landed quickly in the clearing. Pyewacket's landing was much better this time. He came to a bit of a running stop after a few quick hops. The fire dragon beamed the entire way back to the stables.

Several short moments after the three had returned to the castle, another blizzard struck. The wind howled hollowly through the corridors as the servants rushed about trying to close shutters. The storm lasted well into the evening, which found Luigi wandering about the library.

Upon rounding a corner of bookshelves, he found Marius curled up on a fur-lined sofa, reading. He silently waved to his friend as he spied Luigi.

"Hey, just looking for you," Luigi said as he took a seat next to Marius. "So…" he said nonchalantly, trying to conceal a smile, "Pyewacket learned to fly today."

Marius jerked his attention up from his book. "No freakin' way!" He grinned. "Awesome!"

Luigi nodded. For a while, Marius sat quietly while Luigi told him about Kalliel and their expedition plans. After Luigi was finished, Marius told him about his dreams over the past few nights. He told Luigi about how he had been seeing images of a town in the mountains surrounded by waterfalls. "It's like a small crater lake. There are waterfalls at one end, and at the other, there are locks. Y'know, like in the canals that regulate water height? Yeah, those…You think that could be anywhere in Iceland? The mountains in the background were covered in snow, too!"

"I don't see why it wouldn't be. Why not ask Kind Windbag?"

Marius turned his head. "Well uh, speak of the devil."

"Hidy-ho, neighbors!" Windbag smiled down at the hammer bro. "How ya' doin', kiddo? Enjoying the cold?"

"Nope, hence why I'm in here and not out there," Marius said, suppressing a laugh. "King Windbag?"

"Yes, Lad."

"Do you have any maps of Iceland I can look at?"

Windbag scoffed, "Do I have any…of course I do, boy! Come on; let's go find a decently detailed one." The two followed the king out of the alcove. After some hastily spoken words in Icelandic to the bookkeeper, Marius was led back to a large table while a portly toad rolled out a thick roll of parchment for him. Luigi smiled as Marius' face lit up.

"Let's leave him for a minute, I want to talk to you." Windbag placed a heavy hand on Luigi's shoulder. Luigi cast one last look back at his reptilian friend before following Windbag out of the library and up to his chambers.

"Well, since everyone's been going to town telling their stories, might as well explain a little something to you. Take it as you like it, but I figure you might appreciate it…" He disappeared into another room. Luigi heard rummaging before he returned holding a picture frame. Luigi almost dropped it when the king handed it to him. In it were two young men. The first was obviously a much younger King Windbag-lacking in jowls and less lines in his face. The other, much to Luigi's surprise, was his _father_. There was no denying it. The two of them were sitting with their arms over each other's shoulders… much in the same way he and Mario often pose for pictures. He heard Windbag grunt, "Only real 'photo' I ever took with a 'normal' camera, not one of those old-fashioned huge things since, y'know…electric things don't exactly work up here…"

Luigi felt a lump in his throat as Windbag looked at him, waiting for the questions.

"What…? Are you…?"

Windbag smiled slightly. "No, we weren't blood brothers. He was an orphan from the region to the Southwest we call 'Gullinn Hlíð,' the Golden Hills. Don't know what he was doing in the North, but my father found him in the snow one winter and brought him home. I guess you could say we adopted him then. I was only eight…which would have made him six or seven at the time… I think," Windbag said, tapping his chin. He grumbled. "Getting' too damn old…"

"How could he have possibly survived?" Luigi said, barely taking his eyes off the photo.

"Dunno, but-hey, Icelandic people are very hardy!" He thumped his chest for emphasis. His smile waned however; as he noticed Luigi's lost expression.

"B-but how? Wh-?" He looked at him. "How come you never told me?"

"Well one: you never asked…which is kind of an off statement, but hey… and two: I didn't want to burden you with anymore problems. In my eyes, you have enough going on as it is…" He looked at Luigi sympathetically. "Why do you think I took to you much quicker than any imperial emissary Peach ever could have sent?"

"I didn't think about it."

"Doofus…it's because you're my adoptive brother's son!" Windbag exclaimed and rubbed his thick neck. "When I first saw you at the Winter Ball, I could have sworn you were him…I even almost made the mistake of calling you 'Apollo'…you look just like your dad," he grimaced. "Being that there was already an heir to the throne, he became a 'prince' but usually the secondary 'princes' join the military, which is what he did. Took an opportunity to transfer to the Main Kingdom and that how and where you met your mother." Luigi stood there with a slightly lost expression. There was a heavy silence as Luigi looked at the picture again. He gave a small half-smile.

"I…I guess this means I'm gonna have to start calling you 'Uncle' now, doesn't it?" Luigi finally said.

"Hell no…" Windbag chuckled. "I'd rather you didn't." He nodded once before continuing, "Let it be said that I _am_ your Godfather. Yours and Mario's."

"How come we didn't come here after…you know?" Luigi said, staring at him.

"Believe me, lad, I pushed for it. Vehemently. It was finally decided that it was too dangerous for you and your brother to stay." He grunted in irritation. "My wife and I at the time pleaded for them to let you two stay, as there would be plenty of room and protection for you both to grow without leaving this world. The Queen of the mushroom kingdom did not approve of the thought of endangering a kingdom for harboring the children of legend, as it were…so, we resigned and they managed to locate a pipe to that other world…and, I guess the rest is history. The last time, apart from when you and your brother came here, that anyone found a pipe to that world was when we followed Iggy and Lemmy…what was that place called…? Mi…Mia-…?"

"Miami?"

"Yeah, that's it," Windbag said. He laughed quietly, "We certainly need to take a beach-trip after all this blows over."

Luigi couldn't help but burst into laughter at the King's thoughts. "It's the little things, isn't it?"

"Mm-hmm. I'm just relieved you don't hate me for not mentioning anything sooner. It's just, after hearing Kalliel tell his story, I felt bad for withholding that kind of information from you…so here."

Luigi smiled incredulously. "How could I ever possibly hate you? You're my friend, right?"

Windbag smirked. "You better be, I wouldn't have let you past my borders had you not been."

"Good. Plus…come on, you're really my godfather…" Luigi said this more to himself than anything, but Windbag nodded. Luigi then gasped as the king gathered him in a crushing bear-hug before proceeding to nuggie the ever-loving mess out of him. "You _do_ realize that sometime you're going to have to give me the unabridged version. I want to know the details." Luigi said after the king released him.

"Eh, what can I say?" He laughed as Luigi sorely rubbed his head. "You've saved my ass several times now…it's the least I can do."


	43. Fire in the Sky

A/N: So after a lot of thinking and several messages from different people, I've decided to do away with Pyewacket speaking properly. At first, I had no idea it impacted the character that much, but after thinking about it, I have to admit, the broken English grew on my. So Talking like a mix of Yoshi and Jar-jar Binks stays!! I've already gone back and edited the previous chapters. Wewt. Thank you all so much for the feedback. As an author I am grateful for any help you give me like pointing out certain mistakes or things like that. I believe that it is through the input of the readers that we learn to better our writings, no?

**Chapter 43: Fire in the Sky**

The morning of departure finally arrived as the dawn's first rays crept into a blissfully clear sky. The parade ground was alive with the murmuring of excited soldiers, the clink of armor, and the snorting of dragons. A whistle sounded somewhere on the grounds and everyone climbed aboard their appropriate mounts. All in all, it was only a small platoon that was going with a total of five dragons plus Pyewacket, but the mix of humans, Toads, and Ulfr all fit comfortably on their steeds' backs. Luigi spotted Darrel clamber uneasily up onto an adjacent dragon's back. The young man quickly glanced over and flashed a quick thumbs-up before re-adjusting his scarf and helmet.

Loud footfalls sounded as Skjold appeared next to Luigi when Maverick materialized beside them. Kind Windbag, Sigurd, Constance, and Mac all sat upon Skjold's back, accompanied by none other than Professor Asimov.

"Professor!" Luigi exclaimed, "I didn't know you were joining us."

Asimov smiled warmly, his blue eyes twinkling over his spectacles. "Of course. You are making history…and, to be honest, I would like to be thyere when it happens."

Luigi smiled.

"All right, kids, listen up! Let's make this a quickie, we've got a list of things to-do a mile long, and I'd love to get cracking, so MOVE IT!!" Windbag hollered as Skjold took a running leap. The others followed and Luigi gripped Pyewacket's mane as he lurched forward and sprang into the sky.

It didn't take long for a sense of awe and shock to form in Luigi's stomach as the miles melted away before them. The frozen landscape flew beneath them as he remembered the scene from Madame Clairvoya's crystal ball. Kalliel sat just behind him, scanning the ground for anything of note, while Marius sat facing backwards near the base of Pyewacket's tail.

"Marius! You're bein' quiet back there!" Luigi called over the rushing wind, trying to keep the ecstatic Pyewacket on course.

"Huh? Oh, sorry! I'm lookin' for a river!" He called as he scanned the landscape.

"What for?" Kalliel asked. Marius replied something, but was cut off and drowned out by a sudden gust of howling wind. Luigi cried out as Pyewacket yelped and bucked as a bout of turbulence fought against the group. Pyewacket faltered momentarily as he saw Windbag give the signal to descend. Skjold and the others expertly adjusted so that they angled downward with the wind, carrying them to a safe position to land. With Pyewacket's newfound flying skills, descent was quickly proving, for Luigi, to be a terrifying experience. Another sharp blast of icy wind folded Pyewacket's wings and drove him heavily into a thick, deep snow pile.

* * *

Snow fell lightly on a group of hard-working toads as they continued sorting through the rapidly dwindling piles of rubble that lay about Toad Town. Several massive stacks of new, shining pipes lay at various intervals, their beautiful green color glittering beneath the light dusting of snow. Ludwig Von Koopa stood surveying to construction with a stony expression. He sighed heavily with a growl as a breeze ruffled his cloak and hair. Though he knew that shutting down Pipe Central's functions would put most of the continent without pipe use for a time, the difficult decision that he had finally arrived at would save the kingdoms more trouble than the entire situation was worth. Still, the action and planning had left him drained and irritable. He watched quietly as Mario (recently returned from Sarasaland) sat leaning against a pipe, wiping the sweat from his brow.

Mario panted as he shook his arms to regain the feeling. He had been hammering and wrenching loose bolts, screws, pipes, etc. all morning. He took off his hat and scratched his head as Peach sidled up beside him. He looked up at her and smiled lovingly as she stood so that her parasol kept the gently falling snow off of them both. She smiled at him, feeling a sense of pride for her beloved. Quietly, she sank to the ground beside him and leaned into him as he wrapped his arms around her. He lightly kissed her forehead.

"The kingdom will never be the same after all this…" Peach said as she laced the fingers of her left hand into Mario's.

"Hey, don't worry, we're rebuilding! It'll look as good as new, just like always." His chipper voice shone with optimism, but Peach turned a very sad gaze towards him_. _

"You know what I mean…"

"…" Mario looked down at the ground. He knew exactly what she meant. If they weren't killed in the rapidly escalating events, they would have to face a greater foe than any they ever dreamed of. "…First thing's getting Bowser back to his old self…and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I miss the old oaf…I'd have his ridiculous antics over Kamek any day." He looked at his princess. "We're gonna take it slow, though…Stars help me if I should ever lose you."

"Oh, Mario…" Peach said sadly. "I just wish that we…"

"I would give everything if it meant marrying you…I don't know when," he vowed as he gently touched his forehead to hers and took both of her hands in his. "…But I promise I _will_ marry you." He sighed heavily. "Even if it means kidnapping you…" He knew, oh how he knew, how many times Toadsworth had told him that the union of himself and the princess could not happen because he was not of royal blood.

Tears were streaming down Peach's face. "I'm sure Toadsworth would be furious to know that my hero has turned to the very antics his archenemy plays at," She managed to squeeze out a chuckle. "And you know that I'd say yes the minute we could. I am yours now and forever and nothing's going to change that." The two had discussed marriage before and had arrived at this same end. Someday, but not any time soon.

Ludwig silently watched the two vow to each other, bearing a distant and unnoticed witness. His thoughts drifted back to his fiancée and how he had her squirreled away in a distant kingdom for safety. It seemed that everyone's wedding plans were being forestalled due to this outbreak of darkness. His thoughts traveled from his betrothed to his father and a scowl instantly darkened his face. There had to be some way to separate his father and his former caretaker.

"Herr Ludwig?" a stately voice asked from beside him. He looked down to spy one of his koopas. Their blue shells were easy to recognize.

"Ja? Vhat is eet?"

The koopa jumped a bit and Ludwig sighed. His reply had come out a bit forcefully, so he apologized. "I'm sorry, sir, but we need to know if you still want to go ahead with these orders. He handed a small bunch of papers up to Ludwig. The giant koopa scanned them momentarily before handing them back. "Of course. I think Luigi will need these at some point and time in the near future." The papers were new plans and maps of the area at the center of Mushroom city which sat above the Spirit Palace and the massive underground cavern. Now that he was essentially "Wanted" In the mushroom kingdom, he saw no need to inform anyone of his plans to install new pipes where he saw fit. Seeing as how he had unofficially made himself an enemy of Kamek and the others, it only seemed logical that he should side with Luigi. He couldn't help but find the situation laughable, especially after he had told Luigi only a few weeks ago that he wanted to remain neutral. It seemed that whenever either one of the Mario siblings was involved, they drew everyone into the fold, be it for better or for worse. Personally, he preferred his current position to the one he previously had. So it came to pass that Ludwig von Koopa became an ally of the Eidolon order and at the same time had managed to 'legally' alienate himself from the rest of the Rulers of the Kingdoms. Not that anyone was planning on turning him in, but it certainly added a bit of an edge to the situation.

"Right zen…" He grinned wickedly. "I figured zat I need to be ze biggest thorn in Kamek's side as much as heavenly pozzible."

* * *

"Luigi! Luigi, are you alright?"

The voice sounded right above him. Luigi groaned as he opened his eyes slowly. His head throbbed. He looked up into the worried faces of several soldiers, including Darrel, King Windbag, Sigurd, and Kalliel. Maverick gave a loud chirping bark before dragging his long, pink tongue across his friends face. The warm saliva quickly brought him back to his senses.

"Oh…mama mia, what happened?"

"Sorry Weegee, crash-landing…" Pyewacket mumbled. Luigi rubbed his head. "It's okay; thank goodness we landed in the snow. Is everyone else okay?"

Kalliel looked around. "As far as I can tell." Luigi looked around at his surroundings, noticing for the first time that he barely heard any wind. They were inside a giant ice-dome, large enough to cover the entire company.

"Like it?" Windbag crowed, gazing proudly up at the structure. "Ice magic's a wonderful thing, y'know. Saves you in a pinch if you know how to use it."

"I'll say." He popped his neck and looked up at Darrel as the young man extended a hand to help him up. Over the past week or so, the two had gotten to be fairly good buddies. Windbag addressed his men in Icelandic before looking back at Luigi. "We're not going anywhere until this storm blows over." He scoffed. "That's what stinks about the Ice fields…you never know when a blizzard'll hit.

Luigi nodded before wandering around the encampment. Many of the soldiers had already pitched their tents and even had small cooking fires going. Marius was busy pitching their tent when Luigi found him.

"Bee bee beebee!" Maverick beeped at him as he circled the tent, adjusting poles and canvas as Marius put it up.

"Ah, thanks, buddy," He smiled when they were finished. "I call right side," He called to his friends.

"Nu-uh," Gadd said, stepping out from behind Pyewacket with his pack slung over his shoulder.

"Why not?"

Gadd promptly threw his stuff through the large gaping opening. "'Cuz my stuff's already there." He grinned mischievously.

"Aw, that's A+ bull crap," Marius said playfully, crossing his arms.

"Oh yeah?" The tiny professor challenged.

"Yeah!"

"Yeah?!"

"Yeah!" Marius's face was quickly being split into a wide smirk, and Luigi was counting down the seconds. He knew what was coming. A loud SPLAT only confirmed it. Gadd had thrown the first snowball and had hit Marius straight in the face. With a small cry the air quickly became filled with flying wads of snow.

"Wah!" Marius cried out, extending his arms as Gadd unleashed a nasty barrage of cold missiles. A shimmering bubble formed around Marius and the air warmed within a small vicinity. All of Gadd's snowballs melted instantly. Marius dropped the heat shell and put his fists up like a boxer as Gadd doubled over, panting.

"Alright, uncle…" He cast a quick glance at Luigi before lobbing a particularly wet snowball in the young man's direction.

Windbag sat next to Sigurd and Mac as they prepared their evening meal at the fire that sat in the center of the semi-circle made by four tents. Kalliel had joined them, preferring to listen to several of the General's tales.

"So, so far, how are yeh enjoyin' yerself?"

"Beg pardon?" Kalliel said after swallowing a hot mouthful of tea, wincing as it burned his throat slightly.

"Ah, well…I mean, I can imagine it bein' a might different from the world ye left behind nao…How're yeh getting along?"

"Oh, I see. Yes, it certainly is different, I'll give you that. All these technological…things… Cars, phones, and the food…oh don't even get me started on that," He grinned. "Everything feels so different. The same hills I once gazed upon are now different-sprawled with paved roads and quaint houses. It's simple for this time, I'm sure, but it was all so alien to me at first. Living with Luigi and the professor has definitely brought me out of my shell, so to speak."

"Living with those two must be fun," Windbag chortled.

"Their arguments amuse me greatly and to no end. Breaker and Hammer, erm, Marius' other brothers certainly add spice to the mix. But I digress. Luigi is a brilliant lad, and I am proud to claim distant relationship to he and his brother. The professor is quite handy in any situation. The things he makes and the objects he devises are…amazing, so complex. I cannot and will not even try to fathom the depths of his genius. Yes, living with them has certainly been a learning experience that I am grateful for and it's almost like…almost like-"

"Help, Help!! He's abusin' the elderly!!" Gadd hollered as he ran behind Kalliel with Luigi close behind wielding a large snow-clod in each fist. Kalliel's expression flattened as they disappeared behind the tents, "…living with a pack of monkeys…" At this, Windbag couldn't help himself and burst into good solid laughter.

"Ahahaha!!!! You should've seen your face…and right in the middle of praising them for their intellect, too!"

"So much for that," Kalliel muttered, fighting a smile.

The storm had died down by nightfall, but the king insisted that they get some sleep. The next day, after disassembling the ice dome with a quick flick of his wand, Windbag ordered everyone to move. Luckily for them, they made good time, having traveled the entire day with no instances. Towards the late afternoon, the group had lapsed into a lull.

Sigurd's ears pricked and he stiffened. Looking up at the sky, he growled menacingly, eyes flashing.

"Hm? What's wrong, lad?" Windbag asked, looking at him before following his gaze. High above them, a large wooden doomship was lazily emerging from a high-topped cloudbank. On Pyewacket's back, Luigi was beginning to snore slightly when Maverick bristled, having seen it. A shill whistle from windbag sent the group wheeling downwards to the thinning fringe of trees that sat before the empty expanse of the Ice fields. Luigi was instantly awakened when he felt his stomach mash into his chest as Pyewacket folded his wings and plummeted. He landed with a spray of snow as he crouched to minimize the impact.

"Gck…" Luigi twitched, having been awakened by a horrifying plunge. He shivered as Windbag turned to him and paused.

"What's wrong with you?"

"N-n-nothing…" Luigi took several deep breaths to calm himself. "Wh-why are we stopping?"

Professor Asimov held a finger to his lips as he pointed up through the boughs of the fir trees. "Doomship… Darkland's."

"What's it doing here?" Marius whispered. "King Windbag, I though you said they wouldn't be able to fly airships over the border this far north because the gears freeze."

"And they do, lad." Windbag watched the ship for a moment. "It's old school, so it's probably magic-driven. That whole 'jet propulsion' and 'auto-pilot' thing didn't come around until about five years ago, thanks to our resident tinkerer over here," He threw a smirk in Gadd's direction, who bounced his eyebrows and smiled. "You see, they are slow and cumbersome, but they never freeze nor overheat…so the old magic-run ships can be quite invaluable." After watching for a while, Mac growled. Constance glared at the ship from behind Sigurd.

"They're lookin' for someone…that's for sure…" She said.

"Then let's roll out the welcome wagon, my dear…I've got an idea…" He murmured something into Mac's ear. The General nodded. "Luigi, with me. You, follow!" He pointed to the group of soldiers including Darrel.

"Is three going to be enough, my lord?" Constance queried, referring to the Dragons and their riders.

"It'll be plenty… Let's go!" Skjold took off with several bounding leaps, shaking the earth with each pounce. Pyewacket followed, gaining his momentum by sprinting with his long legs and leaping into the wind. On their ascent, Windbag told Luigi of the plan.

"Here, give me this…" Kalliel said, gently pulling the Sword of Lazarus out of the scabbard on Luigi's back. Marius drew his Hammers; Luigi pulled the Key out of his belt. Windbag contented himself with his silver and crystal wand, and Mac; his claymore. "When I say, cut parallel to the broadsides and let her have it!"

Pyewacket nodded. "Aye, sah! Pyewacket burn everything…Nothing left but all smokedust…" He bared his teeth, smoke trickling up from his nostrils.

"Maverick, come with me!" Windbag said as the boo followed. "NOW!" At his command, Skjold and the other dragon wheeled upwards past the deck and circled the ship, arousing cries of alarm from the crew. Windbag scowled as he examined the crew. Loud hisses and shrieks echoed from numerous shadowy koopatrols as they scrambled to their defensive stations. Windbag bellowed a war cry at them. "GRRAAAHH!! Good! Then I won't feel bad about killing you all!!" The dragons attacked the deck, blowing a jet of icy wind that transformed anything it touched into solid ice. Skjold directed his stream to the row of cannons lining the railings. With a cry, Skjold's crew leapt off and onto the deck. Windbag, Mac, and the others grinned wickedly at their prey, "RAIDING PARTY!!!" They yelled before launching themselves into the fray.

Luigi, after the order had been given, clung to Pyewacket's mane as he banked and raced along the side. He felt the blue dragon take in a huge gulp of air before spewing forth an inferno from between his jaws. The line of fire raked the side of the ship, blasting away the wood and exposing the contents of the cargo bay. The ship lurched as its belly was torn into.

Luigi, Kalliel, Gadd, and Marius all froze when they saw what the ship was carrying.

"O-oh n-no…" Marius managed force out.

Back on the deck, the two ice dragons' crews had fully disembarked and were cutting down the shades as fast as they were coming. Constance laughed merrily, swinging her staff and transfixing a small group of koopatrols as ice statues before whacking each one over the side. She looked as graceful as a ballet dancer. Maverick had enlarged himself and, with Sigurd, tore through the remaining koopatrols with vicious glee. Their red eyes flashing, teeth and claws bared, they cut down all who approached them, leaving the shadowy flesh torn with jagged glowing marks as they fell.

The ship gave a horrendous lurch as black smoke began blowing up from the port side.

Windbag spied Pyewacket pelt by overhead as Kalliel jumped off his back and onto the smoking deck. He landed with a THUD and swung out with his sword. The swing cleaved two koopatrols and sliced through another as he whipped around and drove the blade behind him. Kalliel nimbly leapt to the edge of the aft deck railing before leaping down. He struck a shadow soldier on the head with the pommel of his weapon before immediately bringing down the blade with expert precision. It lodged itself in the unfortunate beast's skull. He pulled it free and called to Windbag. "Magnus, we need to leave now! This ship's a bomber! The cargo hold is filled with bob-ombs…" No sooner had he finished his sentence when the rear deck gave another violent lurch as an explosion blew fragments of wood in all directions.

"Dammit…" Windbag seethed. He paused with an angry grimace before he barked, "All units ABANDON SHIP!!" Skjold and the other dragon swooped low to the side as all of the Icelandic soldiers ran to the sides and leapt over onto their backs. Kalliel searched for Luigi before he heard thumping behind him. Pyewacket hand landed with his wings still partially outstretched and was running along the deck towards him. Marius kept a firm grip on Luigi as he leaned over and extended a hand to Kalliel. He pulled him up as they passed. Safely seated upon Pyewacket's back, he slapped Luigi on the shoulder. "Thanks…"

"Weegee hang on, Pyewacket getta alla to safety!!" The Yoshi called as he leapt off the ship, angling downward.

Back on the ground, the other two dragons and the men and women with them emerged from the tree line. Nikolai stared upwards, lips parting as a sudden tension gripped him. The aft end of the doomship exploded, sending the vessel veering high above the earth. "Oh…nyet…" he breathed.

High above, on the crackling, smoking deck, Darrel was having difficulty reaching the edge due to the rocking and bucking of the ship. He stumbled and fell as the wood beneath his feet cracked and split. An ungodly hissing noise sounded from within the bowels of the vessel, causing his stomach to lurch. "No, no, no, no, Wait!!" He cried. He felt a pair of arms seize him and found himself flying over the edge. Maverick had rescued him and was carrying him to the crew of the smaller dragon. "Reeah!" He barked as they shouted to him, beckoning for him to drop Darrel to them. He did so, and the young man landed safely, much to Darrel's relief.

"Whew, thought we'd lost you, kiddo," one of the officers said. Darrel numbly nodded and shivered, having realized how close he had come to losing his life.

"Go, Go, GO!!" Windbag yelled as the dragons plummeted, desperately trying to put some distance between them and the ill-fated bomb ship. There came a tremendous and deafening explosion followed by a wall of heat and a bone-jarring shockwave as the bob-ombs blew. Pyewacket was knocked into a mid-air tumble. He managed to fold his wings in and corkscrew, which enabled him to regain his balance safely. Skjold's sheer weight and size saved him from the majority of the wave, but he was still rocked by turbulence. The last dragon was not as large, and was sent tumbling through the air. He managed to right himself in a similar manner to the way Pyewacket had… until her was pelted by the ensuing hail of debris.

"Duck!" Windbag called as those with weapons batted away the shards of wood and metal that flew at them like javelins. The third dragon who had just righted himself gave a sharp cry as a large, smoking spear of wood pierced his wing and sliced the membrane, tearing it from the base to the end. He immediately floundered, blood spraying from the wound as his flight abilities ceased. He stretched his wings, gliding far too rapidly down to the ground.

The soldiers let out exclamations of fear as they all gripped onto the dragon's neck and back…anywhere they could find a hand-hold. The ice dragon floundered some more, barely one hundred feet off the ground before fainting and plummeting the remaining distance to the snow. Skjold and Pyewacket dove after him, landing heavily some yards away. Pyewacket was unable to stop himself properly after the ensuing escape and thus tumbled into a sprawl when he hit, dislodging his riders.

All of the soldiers beneath the trees came running to the aid of their fallen comrades as Skjold's crew leapt off and ran to them. The dragon thrashed momentarily before Sigurd and Mac seized its wing and forced it to lay still.

"(Constance, your healing magic, now!! Stop this bleeding!!)" Windbag called to the Ulfr maiden as he went to the soldiers. Checking them all over, he found only a few unconscious with only minor injuries. None had perished, thankfully.

Luigi had picked himself up and, after helping Marius and Gadd out of a particularly deep snow bank, scanned the ground for anyone. "Mreah!! Bawk!" Maverick barked and clicked, tugging on Luigi's arm. He didn't ask, but took after the boo until he spied Darrel's body lying in the snow. Putting on a burst of speed, he arrived at the young man's side and slid to his knees. He didn't touch him, but checked to make sure that no limbs were sticking out in odd angles. He froze. Darrel's helmet had been ripped off and his scarf had slid down, exposing his face. Luigi realized that his face was somewhat feminine…and very…familiar.

"…Ugh…oh…mm?" He stirred and looked up at Luigi before bolting up. He paused when he saw Luigi staring at him in shock and confusion. Marius and Kalliel ran up beside him and froze in much the same manner with identical looks on their faces.

"No way…" Marius breathed, staring at the person in front of Luigi as he…or _she_, rather…brought her hand to her face. Her eyes widened when she realized that her scarf hiding her face was gone.

"Daisy?!?" Luigi exclaimed breathlessly. She immediately launched towards him and clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Shh! Dummy, don't give me away!!" she hissed.

Windbag had been watching as Luigi tended to the soldier, but when he heard Luigi's exclamation, his ears pricked. "Daisy? Princess Daisy?"

Daisy stiffened and sighed.

Luigi swallowed. "Sorry," he mouthed, still dumbstruck. They were quickly surrounded by curious toads and humans who began prodding with questions.

"All right, enough!" Windbag barked, shoving a few out of the way. He looked down at the princess for a moment. "Well…this is certainly an unexpected surprise."

Daisy remained silent for a minute as Windbag rubbed his chin in thought. The entire group waited with baited breath while Mac placed his hand on Windbag's shoulder and murmured something into the king's ear. He nodded slowly. The silence lasted for several more moments before Daisy felt a slight prickle on the back of her neck. She whipped her head around to see Kalliel, Luigi, Gadd, Maverick, and Marius all staring at her with mouths slightly agape.

"Will you quit staring at me?!" She hissed. They all jolted before looking down at the ground, mumbling "Okay," or "Yes, Ma'am."

"So ah, Hm-mm," Windbag started, clearing his throat, "Ooh…where to start and what to say?" He shook his head. "To think you were right under my nose and I never suspected it. Darrel…Daisy…yeah, that's pretty clever, your highness." He smiled warmly at her before clucking his tongue, "Allow me to formally apologize, if I had any idea, I never would've put you in such danger." A feeling of uneasy fear had settled over the king. He had put the princess of Sarasaland in danger, and though he was a very good strategist, he had no idea that the ship had been carrying bombs. "I hope you can, uh, forgive me…" He rubbed the back of his neck.

"No, no it's fine, King Windbag, I'm sorry for sneaking in…It's just…it's just…I can't sit around and do nothing, Toadsworth was driving me crazy, and I'd had my fill of Luigi running off on adventures and leaving me behind. I'm not Peach, y'know, I'm not very good at the whole 'being-official-and-proper-while-the-world-goes-to-hell' thing…I lose my cool and then…this kind of thing happens…" She looked up and pleaded to Windbag, "Please don't tell anyone I'm here! Please let me come along!"

Windbag's eyebrows rose as he looked at Mac and back. "Uh, um…well." He snickered suddenly, surprising Daisy. His snicker turned into a good natured laugh. "I can't say that I blame you for ditching the castle. Toadsworth drove me bananas the entire time I was there." He paused as his laughter ceased. "I'm still in a bit of a shock, princess…if you were up there…then…you are _very_ lucky to be alive right now. You know this, don't you?" His tone was soft and somewhat gentle, but Daisy knew as her elder that he was scolding her. She didn't have the heart to argue, though. She had put her own self in danger.

"I…yeah…It was Mav who saved me though," She giggled as the Boo nuzzled her cheek and licked her. "Hehe, it's good to see you too, and thanks so much for saving me."

Maverick whirred.

"He's good to have around, I'll be the first to tell you that," Gadd said, patting the boo on the head.

"Indeed. Well, Daisy, If you'll be staying, I've got no problem with that. You're more than welcome to join us, I'm always grateful for the help… that is… if it's okay with Luigi."

Luigi stared dumbfounded for a moment before shaking himself out of his stupor. He grinned with relief and joy. "Okay? Do you really need to ask?"

Daisy grinned at him before wrapping her arms around his neck, "I was gonna say…You better say yes, I'll pommel the tar outta you if you didn't."


	44. Stricken

**Chapter 44: Stricken**

Daisy hopped off of Luigi and helped him up before seizing him once more in a tight hug.

Windbag watched the two for a moment before clearing his throat. "I do hate to break up a reunion such as this, kids…but it's probably best if we keep going. There's a pipe about another hour's journey from here. Once we're clear of the foothills, the land opens up into the great glaciers. There's absolutely no cover there, and while I had originally hoped to travel by flying, with doomships floating around, I'm not taking any more chances."

Nikolai smiled, "That's the best idea I've heard all day."

"Okay then," Luigi said, hopping up onto Pyewacket's back. He noticed Kalliel taking his place atop the smaller of the white dragons. "You aren't riding with us?"

"Nah, let the lady accompany you. Besides, I don't wish to overburden Pyewacket."

"Oh, okay," Marius said, offering a hand down to Daisy. She took her place directly behind Luigi, wrapping her arms around his waist. She squeezed him and buried her face in his shoulder. "You smell like pine," she said into his back.

"Why are you sniffing me?" Luigi chided, looking back at her. She rested her chin on his shoulder and stared at him lovingly for a moment. Luigi blushed fiercely, placing a hand over hers and squeezing.

They set off in silence. High in the sky, the cold wind was crystal clear, granting a marvelous view of the land that stretched out for miles. The last of the thin patches of forest disappeared before opening into flat bluish land. Closer inspection revealed the ground to be composed entirely of pack-ice dusted with snow.

"So…Daisy…um, how…how exactly did you get here?" Marius asked after a few seconds.

"Well…hmm…" Daisy put a finger to her chin in thought. "A lot of pipe travel and a lot of asking for directions. Uh yeah…not doing that again…"

"So when you got here, how long did you have to stay in the barracks?" He asked, naturally curious.

"A few weeks." Daisy paused in thought before a grin split her face. "Just goes to show you that I _can_ run with the boys. Anything you can do I can do better," She smirked playfully. Nearby on Skjold, several of the Ulfr were conversing with one another. It didn't take long for the topic to settle on feats of strength. Mac mentioned something with a cocky grin. Constance snickered, "Mac, we don't wanna hear about your man-boobs." This aroused a collective "Ooh," from the other warriors as Windbag laughed loudly.

The general thumped his chest, "I'll tell ye lass, ye don't get muscles like this by wavin' that glitter-stick o' yers around." The two sent a couple exchanged verbal jabs at each other again before both burst into good-hearted laughter. Constance knew he was one of the leanest warriors there, and he knew and respected her abilities as a spell-caster.

They soon came into view of the mouth of an enormous blue pipe sticking out of the ground. Windbag barked an order before jumping off of Skjold's back and freefalling. Daisy gasped as she watched him fall before realizing that all of his men were following him.

"C'mon babe, last one in's a rotten egg!" Daisy said as she slid off Pyewacket's back in a swan dive.

"Daisy, wait!" Luigi called a second too late. Gritting his teeth, he removed his hat and jammed it into an empty saddlebag before he jumped after her. Pyewacket looked back to Marius and Gadd.

"I'm just gonna go down with you, if you don't mind," Gadd said to Pyewacket, ducking into his saddlebag. Marius gulped. "That's pretty far…oh…bollocks…Not gonna get anywhere worrying…Might actually be fun." He took a deep breath before flinging himself into oblivion. The icy wind stung his face as he tucked his arms close to his body, fighting a scream as his speed increased. The wind whistled past his ears as he found he was quickly gaining on Luigi and Daisy. Tears streamed out of the corners of his eyes, turning into small crystallized orbs of ice as they left his face.

Marius chanced a quick glance to his side as he saw Pyewacket plummet with wings tucked. He was spiraling slightly to keep balance, looking remarkably similar to a diving falcon.

The four caught up to each other and adjusted their speeds so they fell together. "Here we go!" Luigi cried as they fell into the vast gaping maw of the pipe. A strong feeling of suction seized them as they shot through subterranean Iceland. It was a vast straightaway and, like the last Ice pipes they had used, slightly illuminated which showed that the blue walls were coated in a thick, shimmering layer of ice.

Faster and faster they went. The air whistled past their ears.

"I see the end!" Marius called after a while. Sure enough, there was a bright white light at the end of the tunnel. They all were filled with a feeling of sheer anticipation. Luigi noted that the opening was directly in front of them instead of being angled upwards. With a flash and a loud CHNG CHNG CHNG, the four were ejected out into a room made entirely of cobalt blue ice. Thinking quickly, Luigi flipped and placed his feet down of the ice as his momentum slid him up a curved stretch of ice that quickly inclined. Casting a quick glance, he saw that the stretch leading from the pipe curled up and around in a loop. The very top of the arc was broken by empty space where the ice became parallel to the ground. Luigi and the others twisted and flipped, touching their feet to the other side and riding the steep decline like a wave.

"Race you to the end!" Luigi heard King Windbag's voice from up ahead. As they leveled out, he saw the king sliding in much the same manner with a smirk on his face.

Luigi grinned and with a laugh, skated forward. Even though he lacked proper ice skates, he found that it really didn't make any difference. Ducking and weaving around the others, he quickly caught up to the king. They evened out with each other before bursting forward. The walls thinned until they became interspersed columns carved from large ice blocks. As they rushed by, large groups of snow-furred Ulfr stared after them. Though Luigi didn't truly know where they were, he knew that they were somewhere deep in the farthest northern glacier.

He was suddenly filled with a feeling of elation; the speed of their travel mixed with the beauty all around them. As the stretch of slick ice arced upwards in a ramp, he crouched. At the very end, he jumped into an enormous cylindrical shaft. Windbag had done the same and was right beside him. They looked at each other before refocusing on their next task.

Kalliel and the others slid off the end of the ramp, enjoying a brief upward flight before falling back down towards the enormous circular floor filled with powdery snow that formed a crash pad. He watched in amazement as Luigi and Windbag rebounded off the walls of the shaft. Windbag was executing jumps as stunning as Luigi's. The thought that ran through his mind was 'How is that possible?'

The pair flipped and jumped like a pair of jackrabbits up the slick walls until finally, a final burst of speed sent them flying above the rim of the shaft. Luigi looked down as he soared back from the edge. The bottom was slightly hazy from the cool glacial mist, but he could just make out the others at the bottom. He allowed his body to arc backwards in a back-flip before landing gracefully. He stood, slightly out of breath, and gazed around. Behind him, an endless expanse of white stretched back. Before him stretched the edge of the glacier and beyond, the deep blue waters of the ocean that lead to a large island in the shape of a jagged spire.

"Gorgeous, ain't it?" Windbag boasted as Luigi cautiously looked over the precarious edge to the ocean far below.

"Yeah…" Luigi said quietly, bringing his gaze back to the Island. It was just as Madame Clairvoya's ball foretold. "So…the ice spirit lives there?"

"Mmhmm. That's it. And this is about as far North as we're going to get."

They both stared out at the beautiful expanse before them: A mural of blues, whites, and teals.

"Wow." Luigi breathed. "I can't believe we're finally here."

"Yeah…I personally would have loved to fly the rest of the way here, but with doomships flying..." At this, Windbag chuckled. "I'm sure the dock-crew's supervisor isn't going to be pleased that we used their cargo-pipe to get here."

"Hm." Luigi looked back down the chamber. At least that would explain the vast straightaway and the giant snow-filled room. He looked at the distance they had jumped and climbed. "Looks like you've still got it, old man," He chided.

"Old man, huh? This old man can still kick your butt, yeah?" they both laughed as they put up their dukes and playfully swung at each other before Windbag scooped him into a hold and nuggied him.

"Ah, ah! No more! Uncle, uncle!" He dropped Luigi. He laughed heartily before extending his hand. "Come on, lad. Let's go." Luigi grabbed his Godfather's hand and hoisted himself up.

"Yah!" They both shouted as they fell to the bottom.

* * *

A chill pervaded the air in the eternal dusk that bathed Twilight Town. The orange light filtered in through the stained-glass walls at the top of Creepy Steeple. Doopliss sat in his easy chair, alternating his gaze from the three Manticores that sat in front of him to the multi-faceted black crystal shard in his hand. The rays from the setting sun reflected off of the sides like molten firelight.

"I still don't see how this is gonna work, Slick," The dooplighost grumped. "Any time trouble gets caused; Mario always comes runnin' to poke his nose in it. He knows my name, what good is it anyway?"

Judges growled as he stood, baring his teeth. "My patience grows thin…For the last time; it is Luigi we are focused on. It matters not that they know your name. Once everything is initiated, it all depends on timing. We implant the shard into his heart. You steal his identity. Kamek only agreed to use you due to the fact that you and the three of us are essentially the same: spirits of darkness with the ability to alter our forms. It just so happens that _your_ abilities turn the victims into shadow."

"Okay yeah, I get that…what's the _point_? I mean…_why_? I don't need to know how." The ghost's red eyes flashed angrily. He knew the Manticores both respected and feared his abilities, but being a man of instant gratification, he was losing both patience and interest in this so-called plan. They had attacked his inquisitions with round-about answers that had so far just repeated the exact same thing. He slid out of his chair, the breeze billowing his cloth-like body. He knew they were at his disposal. He may be ignorant, but he wasn't stupid. They needed his help.

"If you want me to help," he growled, "you'll stop screwing around and tell me!"

Judges roared at his impudence. Doopliss flinched, but didn't cower.

"Fine! Have it your way…" Judges snarled. "One of two things will happen. When you take his body, the shadow that remains will react to the shard inside of him. He will either be turned into a shade for our master's use…or he will perish." He paused for a moment. "Should he die, it wouldn't matter if they knew your name or not, because your victim would be gone, leaving you in possession of the body. We've already spoken to Kamek about his potential death and though it is a dangerous risk, we must take it."

"It's really as simple as that," Grym said with finality. "Pure and simple. In order to do this, however…we'll need your cooperation. I'm sure our master can come up with some sort of compensation other than the sum of money we have already promised."

"Well show me the money, first. I need to know I can trust you," Doopliss grinned.

"Uh-uh. Half," Loky said, climbing to his feet after rubbing his back on the floor. "Half now, half later."

"I'm sure as a business man; you will agree that is a fair deal, is it not?" Judges said, calming his voice.

Doopliss paused for a moment, weighing the situation. He had already been promised the cash, plus a bonus from what Grym had said. He shrugged, "Sure, I guess there's no harm in half now, Slick. Especially since you did say there was a bonus."

"And remember," Grym said levelly. "Do not hesitate, though the chance of his death is high. If he does die, then that outcome will probably be for the best in the long run…" Grym bowed his head before the three turned and left. Doopliss hopped back into his easy chair and tossed the jewel in his hand several times. A cruel cackle escaped his mouth. "Ohh, this is gonna be good…"

The bells of the steeple gonged lowly, signaling the changing hour.

* * *

After Luigi and the King had rejoined the others, they were greeted by a huge Sut-Ulfr with a long mane of white fur that flowed over his shoulders. The portion that hung down his back had been braided, and his clothing consisted of a studded leather gambeson, breeches and metal greaves. He bowed low, addressing them in Icelandic before speaking slowly in heavily accented English.

"Hail, Windbag-folkvarthr, Luigi-riddari," he touched his forehead, where the triquetral mark glowed. Luigi and the others did the same. "Ve haf been expecting yous. Though…why did you takes the pipes for cargo is beyond me…"

"(We ran into some doomship bombers on our way here. We figured it was the fastest and safest way.)" Windbag conversed with him for several moments in Icelandic.

"(You all should rest. I request that your majesty inform me of the recent events later this evening.)"

"(Indeed. We need to set out for the Island immediately tomorrow morning. I wish that we not dawdle long. War is brewing, and I am hoping that you will rally our navy as soon as possible.)"

The Ulfr bowed. "(Your wish is my command, my king.)" Turning to Luigi, he touched the mark on his forehead and bowed again. "It ees an honor to haves you here, Luigi. Please, you ands your friends make joorselves comfortable."

Luigi bowed to him and thanked him before allowing himself to be showed down a corridor followed by the others. Kalliel stopped Windbag. "Magnus, if you don't mind my asking…how ever did you learn to jump like that?"

"Hm? Jump? OH! Haha…yeah. Well, hmm. I'm not sure. Most Icelanders can jump high naturally. I don't know if it's the air here or what. Did Luigi mention that he and his brother are half Icelandic?"

Kalliel's eyes widened. "N-no he didn't…" He grew slightly solemn. "He does not speak of his mother and father often, for reasons I can wholeheartedly understand."

"Mmm. Yeah, so he probably didn't mention to you that I told him that his dad is my adoptive brother?"

Kalliel stared for a while. Windbag waved a hand in front of his face. "Hello? Still with us there, son?"

"Oh, yes…" Kalliel shook his head. "But wait…doesn't that make him sort of a…erm…"

"A prince? Yeah, technically yes…when I told him, he didn't focus on that, though. I personally don't think he really cares about the title. Luigi's never been one to let stuff like that get to his head." Windbag's smile dropped slightly as his eyes unfocused.

Kalliel tilted his head slightly. "Are you well?"

"Yes…" his gaze returned as he sighed heavily. "…I'm just…faced with a small dilemma." He took a deep breath and sighed again. "I need to confide in you. I can't burden Luigi any more than I have. Will you listen?"

"Of course, your majesty." Kalliel found it odd that he didn't offer a witty remark at his formality.

Windbag smiled weakly. "It's a matter of concern for me to find a suitable heir for my throne…I lost my wife to an outbreak of influenza some years ago…" At this he chuckled weakly. "Nikolai shares my pain, as he lost his significant other to the same illness. At the time, we were only just creating a suitable vaccine, yet our wives were some of the first to pass from it…" A shadow passed briefly over Windbag's face, "Irony's a bitch, isn't it…?"

"Surely you had sons?" Kalliel wondered, feeling a pit of sorrow and sympathy form in his stomach.

At this, the king grimaced painfully. "I had one. He…is gone…He was bitten and…cursed."

Kalliel stared momentarily before nodding. "Ah…I see…then Nikolai…"

Windbag smirked sadly. "Let it be said…that Nikolai has killed all but one werewolf. His pursuit chased him to the cliffs. My son fell to his death before Nikolai could pull the trigger. He was the only one ever able to escape him…" There was a painful silence that settled between the two. "As such…I fell into a deep depression shortly after hearing of this, and for some time, my behavior became tyrannical…too obsessed with my own losses to care about the hell I was putting everyone else through." He closed his eyes and turned his head up, taking a deep, calming breath. When he opened his eyes, he was gazing up at the steely-blue ice ceiling. "It took several long years to come to terms with reality…but I am the last of my line…and my family name shall end with me…"

Kalliel didn't know what to say. He had never even been married, yet the king had lost his wife to sickness and his son to a wicked curse. He had never known the sorrow of loosing things like that. It made him rethink his position on things, like how his friends had felt when he had died.

He was still in disbelief when he spoke. "You carry yourself very well."

Windbag's face softened. "Yeah…I can't keep pining after it. There **is** life after death. Though we mourn their passing we have to move on, lest we get left behind." He smiled to Kalliel, who smiled back and touched the mark on his forehead. The triquetra flared. Life, Death, Rebirth. Kalliel was all too familiar with it.

Windbag nodded. "I'll see you at dinner, then."

"…" Kalliel solemnly bowed before excusing himself.

That evening after dinner, Luigi and Marius followed the great Ulfr that had greeted them to their room. "Und here, joo two vill shares a room, ja?" He stopped before a large wooden door. "Gets some sleeps. Ve're visiting the spirits tomorrow."

"Thank you," they both said as they entered the dorm. Once inside, Luigi began preparing himself for bed as Marius pulled out the Book of Eidolon and began leafing through the pages. Though Luigi hadn't packed it, it had followed him nonetheless.

"Was it me or did the King seem a little down tonight?" Marius asked as he looked through an interesting history section.

"No…I thought that, too…Kalliel seemed a little quiet as well…" Luigi shrugged as he dropped his surcoat over the back of an armchair. "I'm gonna go tell Daisy goodnight, I'll be right back."

"'Kay," Marius said, not lifting his eyes from the book. When Luigi was gone, he flipped through the book, thinking about werewolves. The subject had been mentioned in passing several times throughout dinner. The book finally flipped itself to a set of pages in the Fauna section. All descriptions of werewolves were extremely vague, if not entirely void of any useful information describing the nature of the affliction. He snapped the book shut as Luigi re-entered the room.

"Well, I'm beat. Let's hit the sack, we've got a big day tomorrow," Luigi said, stifling a yawn.

"Yeah…" Marius said, looking at him admirably. "It's cool, isn't it…I mean…we're gonna see a new Elemental Spirit!"

Luigi grinned as they both hopped into bed, eagerly awaiting the dawn's arrival.

"Y'know, Luigi…I was thinking…" Marius said after a short while.

"Hmm?"

"When we get back…I really want a taco…"

Luigi couldn't help himself. His face split into a grin and he laughed.

"Oh, let's see…Pizza for me, I think…"

"Taco Pizza!"

They both erupted into a fit of giggles. Luigi snorted, "At least it would be better than Hammer and Breaker's deep fried spaghetti tacos…"

Marius pulled a face and grimaced, "It wouldn't have been so bad if they didn't put mustard on it..."

"Man…I didn't realize how much I missed those two. I mean them, not their cooking…" Luigi sighed. Marius remained silent for a moment, staring up at the ceiling.

"It's been a while since we've played soccer…we should probably practice…"

"Yeah…" Luigi sighed. "I can't wait until we can actually go back home…Until we find that ambassador and revoke those arrest warrants, we're wanted men…"

The two friends stayed up a bit longer, discussing their concerns before Marius dozed off. Luigi wasn't far behind him.

* * *

The next morning, they followed several of the huge, white, warrior Ulfr down many twisting corridors to the docks. The ente trip was covered by a heavy silence. The massive Sut-Ulfr were extremely quiet, which to Luigi, was somewhat awkward. He looked over at Marius and paused as he noticed that he was rubbing his forehead.

"You okay?"

Marius nodded. "More dreams..." He looked at Luigi, speaking in hushed tones. "I remembered that I had a sister…and there were mountains and I saw that lake and the huge waterfall again…"

"A sister? Are you sure that wasn't your mom?"

"No, I'm sure. After I saw her, she looked at me, then I saw the triquetra flash and I woke up…I couldn't go back to sleep…"

"Is that why you were tossing around so much?"

Marius grimaced apologetically, "Sorry, did I wake you?"

"No, I couldn't really sleep, either…" Luigi said. A huge Ulfr by the name of Vaknar leaned down and muttered to the two. "I couldn't help but eavesdrops…joo are from Rivagard, ja?"

"Huh, Rivagard? What's that?" Marius asked, clearly confused. Vaknar cocked his head. "The place joo just describes. Eet is Rivagard. Eet's in ze East…und eet is the only waterfall city we haves…for vhat it's worth…"

"No, no…thank you…" Marius said, suddenly feeling his skin prickle. Luigi could tell by his friend's sudden anticipation that Vaknar may have revealed the answer to Marius' questions.

"Come, then," Vaknar said, ushering them further on, "We go when we are done here."

The party was led to a huge wooden longboat. Carved dragon's heads rose up from the tips of the bow and stern. There was an enormous central mast with a huge square sail that was already fluttering in the slight breeze coming from the mouth of the ice cave. The docks were entirely inside the glacier, with a long tunnel that ran out to the sea. Pale daylight filtered through the opening, illuminating the water.

It didn't take long to get underway. Most of the crew was silent as the huge white wolf-men pulled on heavy oars to the time of a large drum. Mac hummed quietly to himself. Luigi, sitting next to him, looked up at him. "You seem to be in a good mood."

"Ach, sure, lad. Plus, eh…these guys are too damn quiet…" He whispered before continuing to hum to himself. Luigi turned his attention to the king, who stood proudly at the ship's prow, his regal cape billowing in the light wind that blew. Daisy, sitting next to him, leaned her head against his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her tight.

"Tighten the sails!" the King barked. The ship gave a slight lurch as it began to ride the wind. Several more orders were called out as the back two oars were kept out. The rest were pulled up and in to better navigate the icy maze that lay before them. As they passed a large, electric-blue iceberg, Luigi gently elbowed Mac. "Is Windbag okay? He's been real quiet all morning…"

"…Hmm…That I dinnae know, lad. 'E sometimes gets pensive. Best tae just leave 'im be."

Sigurd hopped over the bench behind them and snuffled. When Luigi looked at him, he laid his ears down and whined. Daisy gently scratched him behind the ears. "Don't worry, dude."

Soon, the crags of the icy mountain island loomed into view. The wind whistled as it blew over and around the mountain. Luigi felt a violent shiver race up his spine as the sun disappeared behind a low cloud bank. The air quickly filled with a freezing haze.

The trip didn't take as long as Luigi had previously thought, but because of the cold, it didn't end soon enough. He heard Vaknar give a sharp whistle before the long ship came to a halt as the Ulfr stripped the sails and replaced the oars for drag.

Maverick growled slightly as he lowered his goggles over his eyes.

"We've got to get out of the wind!" Windbag roared over the growing gales. They all leapt out of the long ship and onto the brink of the ice. The snowstorm increased in intensity as the group ran through the mouth of a giant cave.

Once inside, Luigi and Marius snapped their fingers, a bright ball of fire appearing in their hands. The others gathered around them for warmth.

"Brrr…" Gadd rubbed his arms and drew his coat around him. He shuddered.

"Whew!" Windbag laughed as Sigurd shook himself. "That's nasty…" He blew into his hands as he began walking down the corridor. "Walk and talk, people."

"I can't believe we're here…" Luigi breathed, his teeth chattering. Kalliel and Gadd looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Clairvoya was the one who showed me this mountain and now…we're here…and holy crap, it's bigger than it looked…"

Gadd gave a snorting chuckle. "Yeah. I'd be way more enthusiastic if it weren't so damn cold…"

The corridor sloped downwards. Looking up, the ceiling had to at least be almost two-hundred feet high. The farther they went, the steeper the incline became. Luigi slipped and, due to the slick surface, rocketed past Windbag and the others.

"Waaah!" He cried as he slid past.

Magnus paused. "Nu-uh, you're not having all the fun!" He called as he leapt after him.

"Me next!" Daisy yelled as she copied them.

Nikolai rubbed his temple. "I svear…they look before they leap…"

The chute ended abruptly in a large bank of powdery snow. Luigi struggled for a bit before feeling a huge hand grip his shoulder and gently pull him up. Sigurd snuffled as he placed him down and motioned his head to the large open cavern before them.

At that moment, the other Ulfr dropped to their knees as Windbag bowed low. Luigi and Daisy looked up and gasped. Sitting in the center, atop a bed of snow, sat an enormous white wolf. He was slightly translucent, with small flurries of ice and snow fluttering around him, pushed by an unseen breeze. Luigi instantly recognized him as the wolf spirit that sealed off the pass when they had first arrived.

The wolf easily had to be as big as Kalliel was in spirit form. The massive canid sat on its haunches and looked at their party. He slowly nodded his head. "At long last…welcome." His voice was steady and quiet, but very powerful. Kalliel whispered into Luigi, "He's easily the oldest spirit apart from Lazarus. He was ancient before I was even born."

Maverick whistled. He was nervous around the old spirit, and gave a chirpy alarm bark when Luigi slowly advanced. "Nyack! Nyack!"

"No, no, it's okay," Windbag gently patted his head.

"Your time is short, so I will be brief. I have been asked to grant you my power, and from your efforts, I have seen that you are more than worthy of it." He leaned his head back and filled the cavern with a bone-chilling howl. The snow around him swirled. Whipping around Luigi, the ice and powder solidified into a fizzing ball of pure white energy. Luigi gently reached out to it and touched it. It disappeared with a hiss and Luigi felt an icy shiver run down the length of his body.

"Oh j-j-jeez…" he shivered.

"Little one, your task is not yet complete. Make haste to the Eastern Deserts, where you will find the spirits of the earth…Kamek's power has grown at an exponential rate and I fear we may be running out of time."

"Permission to speak, my lord," Kalliel bowed respectfully. The wolf turned his gaze to the Water Spirit and smiled in amusement.

"Young master, this is truly a pleasant surprise. You may speak…"

"What of the spirit of darkness? Surely if we found it, we would be able to permanently seal Kamek away…"

"A wondrous thing to hope for, Kalliel. However, the spirit has yet to manifest itself, and at this point you would be wasting precious time. Yes, we would need all of the elemental spirits to permanently destroy him, but we have no more time to wait. We will have to make do with what we have." He turned his white, misty eyes back to Luigi, "Your targets are the cities of Jangala in the Lands of Water, and Azibo in the Desert lands. They were twins in life, whose power was split equally; you need to speak with them both. They perhaps may be the easiest to find, as in each respected city there is a temple dedicated to each."

"What's going on?" Luigi asked, suddenly worried. "Why are we in a time crunch?"

The wolf turned his head and stared blankly at the wall for a few seconds as if focusing on something far away. "His powers are growing with each shadow, each thought of despair…and I sense an encroachment upon your lands to the east, Magnus. If Rivagard falls, then nothing will stop them in infiltrating the rest of the country. They have somehow breached the barrier."

Marius stiffened at the mention of the border town. "R-Rivagard? Isn't that…?" His voice caught in his throat.

"Yes, child. Make haste, else you will not find the answers you seek. Also...Guard yourselves well, for I sense new tragedy looming on the horizon…" The icy spirit closed its eyes and faded into the misty haze. "Go now, with my blessing…"

The cavern was silent for several long moments, except for Marius' panicked breathing. They were concerned about the spirit's cryptic warning.

"Mac, assemble the party, we need to get out there as soon as possible. Contact Geyma and tell him to meet us halfway," Windbag spoke in a level tone.

"Aye, majesty." He turned to the others and barked something in Icelandic back up the corridor.

"The group we brought should be more than enough to hold the fort…Rivagard is built for sieges, and it's not gonna fall easily…" Windbag growled as they raced out of the cavern. "To Rivagard!" He roared.

* * *

Hrolf and Randulf bowed low together after speaking with the Regent. "Herr Ludwig, our builders are ready at your behest. Shall we begin?"

"Ja…Ve must hurry…" He clicked his fingers and a blue-shelled koopa hurried over, burdened by a large set of blueprints. "I cannot keep ze pipes shut down for very much longer."

"We trust you have found a way to cut off pipe circulation to Darkland at least," the two said in unison. Ludwig grunted in response, smoothing the parchment on the ground. He clapped his great paws and a large troop of paratroopers flew to the ceiling of the enormous cavern holding the palace of spirits. The extensive parade grounds were stocked with long stacks of new pipes. At the center before the great gates, lay parts of a pipe of unfathomable size.

At Ludwig's command, the paratroopers began drilling through the rock.

"Regent…if we may?" the twins asked nervously.

"You may…"

"Will they be able to get through?...Without collapsing the cavern completely, of course…"

"I have Moles on ze surface heading down…rest assured. I know vhat I'm doing. I just hope it's enough."

"What aid you can grant us would be more than adequate, Excellency."

Ludwig nodded as a shower of fine rubble poured from the ceiling.

* * *

The next day saw the squadron of dragons and their riders grounded. A thick bank of chilly fog and clouds had appeared, obscuring everything and reducing visibility to zero. After almost having a collision with another Ice dragon, Skjold voiced his concerns to Windbag, who ordered an immediate landing.

Touching down was rough due to the limited sight and the density of forest cover that had appeared beneath them. Camp was silently set up and guards placed on high alert.

"I don't vant to take take any chances…" Nikolai said slowly when Luigi questioned his tense stance.

This only heightened Luigi's state of paranoia. Every sound that came from the misty forest made him shiver. He let out a small shriek when Windbag placed his hand on his shoulder. Several guards chuckled. Luigi bit his tongue, listening to the echoes of his voice off of the trees while his face burned with embarrassment. "Don't do that…" he hissed.

"Relax a little," Windbag said, clapping him on the back. "It's normal weather here."

"S-still…" Luigi shuddered.

Gadd rummaged around in the bags for something while Kalliel struck flint and tinder in an attempt to light a fire. The logs caught and before long a small blaze was crackling merrily, chasing away some of the ominous shadows.

"Here," the tiny professor said, tossing a soccer ball to Luigi. "Maybe this'll help you get yer mind offa things. Fog makes things scarier than they need to be, remember?"

Luigi nodded with a small grin, remembering the old mansion all too well. "C'mon, Marius."

While the boys practiced, Daisy went to freshen up with Sigurd standing guard.

The minutes melted by while Marius and Luigi practiced. To them, this was a release. All the worries and cares of the last several weeks melted away; all the fears of the past hour. Luigi accidentally lobbed the ball over Marius' head. "Sorry, my bad!"

Marius laughed as he waved him off, "'S okay. I'll get it." He ran into the trees.

"Don't go too far, kiddo," Gadd called.

"I won't," came Marius' reply.

Daisy knelt by a small stream not too far from camp, dipping her hands into the water and splashing her face with the frigid waters. "Br-r-r," she shivered. Looking at Sigurd, she smirked, "What're you chuckling at?" The huge Ulfr grinned as she splashed him. They stopped and turned as they saw Marius through the mist. Sigurd's ears pricked. Daisy froze.

"Sigurd…? What's wrong?" she asked, all trace of mirth gone from her voice. She saw his hackles rise and his teeth bare. She looked past him at Marius.

"MARIUS!" She shrieked.

Luigi and the others stopped dead in their activities upon hearing Daisy's cry. The camp became a flurry of drawing weapons and magic flickering.

"GET IT OFF ME!" Marius screamed, trying to draw his hammers as he was being dragged by the leg.

"NO!" Nikolai bellowed as he raised his rifle and fired into the mist above Marius. A loud whine sounded as Marius was freed. The young Hammer Bro. scrambled to his feet and limped towards the group. He threw himself to the ground as he heard a loud roar behind him.

Nikolai sighted down his rifle again as an enormous form burst from the underbrush behind Marius. He fired again. "WEREWOLF!" The beast dodged the shot and barreled towards them. Dodging several swipes from swords and spears, it dashed off into the forest.

"Split up and FIND this damn thing," Windbag spat. "Stay in groups, shout if you need help." The soldiers and adventurers split up. Luigi, Daisy, Maverick, and Gadd stayed behind with Marius.

"Can you stand?" Daisy asked, examining his bloodied leg.

"Yeah…" Marius grit his teeth.

Nikolai, Kalliel, and Mac followed closely by Sigurd and Windbag hurried on through the trees, stopping when Nikolai cried out. "Holdt…" He examined a plant which had been covered in dark red liquid. "He's close…I zink ve're ze vones beingk hunted," he whispered. Windbag tensed as he drew his wand, standing back to back with Kalliel, who was flipping his sword back and forth between hands. Nikolai ran forward a bit, the only sound coming from his heart and the gentle crunch of snow beneath his boots. He paused at the mouth of a thicket and raised his rifle. Taking a deep breath, he slowly let it out as he aimed into the shadows.

The smell of rancid meat filled his nostrils as he paused and glanced to his right, where the snarling, bloodied maw of his prey appeared menacingly.

"Clever…" he growled.

A loud zap sounded as a bolt of electricity slammed into the werewolf, sending it skidding away into the underbrush. Nikolai lowered his rifle and let loose his held breath. "Zankh you, Elvin…" he said with a smirk, turning to where he could see his cousin shouldering his cross-bolt. Marius, Daisy, and Luigi appeared shortly thereafter.

'I own you,' Gadd mimed with a grin, to which Nikolai replied with rolling his eyes, shaking his head.

Sigurd bristled as Kalliel glared into the mist. "Where did Professor Asimov go?"

"I dunno, but it sounds like the others are joining us," Windbag said, ignoring the rumbling growls echoing from Mac and Sigurd.

"Don' go runnin' off jus' yet…" Mac said. A noise in the bush made them freeze. With a snarl, Windbag ran off into the mist.

"Magnus!" Mac barked. The general groaned. "Didn'ae just say doon't go runnin' off? Bloody Hell…"

Back with Luigi and the others, Marius collapsed onto the ground. "Ow…no, no, it's nothing…ah…I just can't put much weight on my leg."

Nikolai examined it carefully, taking a strip of clean cloth Gadd handed him and bandaging the wound. "Joo're actually in luck…jour kind won't get infected."

"Really?" he asked, relieved.

Nikolai nodded. "I've done my homevork…jou're just lucky he didn't take your leg."

Maverick appeared out of thin air next to Luigi and growled. "Mav, go find Windbag, hurry," Luigi said as the boo saluted and disappeared into the forest.

"C'mon sonny, let's go find the others," Gadd motioned to Nikolai and Luigi.

"I'll stay here with Marius," Daisy offered. "I'm not totally helpless, y'know…"

"Fair deal, let's go," the tiny professor said, reloading his crossbolt. The trio ran through the trees for a moment before stopping in a clearing. Standing back to back, they poised, waiting. Electricity crackled around Luigi's hands. In the distance, they could make out Sigurd's barking and Kalliel's shouting. "God, I didn't want to leave Daisy…" Luigi hissed.

"She's a big girl, now focus…" Gadd whispered.

Nikolai's ears pricked at a small sound in the brush. In a hurried whisper, he spoke, "Get ready…zhey're ambush hunters. Luigi…can I ask you to create a negative zone? I have an idea…here he comes…"

"Sure, but how do you know…?" Luigi trailed off as the werewolf leapt at them from its cover.

"NOW!" Nikolai yelled as Luigi suffused his electric charge and waved his hands in front of him, focusing on something that made him angry. A shimmering green bubble enveloped them as the werewolf sailed towards them. However much time passed within the bubble, Luigi wasn't sure, but to him, it felt like an hour. Nikolai ducked as the surprised beast sailed over his head. Jamming the barrel of his rifle up, he caught the monster in the stomach, pushing him up and over his shoulder as he pulled the trigger, blasting the shot through his abdomen.

The wolf's body hit the ground as Luigi dismissed the zone. All three stood there panting. Nikolai somberly wiped his face clear of the fine spray of blood that had covered him. Gritting his teeth, he cocked his rifle again and advanced on the still, bleeding form of the werewolf.

A saddened breath escaped his lips as he lowered his gun. "Geyma…"

"What?" Luigi asked, feeling his stomach bottom out as he saw the familiar face of Geyma, now feral and bloodied…and dead.

"OY! We got 'im!" Gadd yelled into the forest, hearing surprised cries from Mac and Kalliel as they ran to their position. Luigi's head was spinning as Daisy hobbled up, supporting Marius. "You got him?" she asked.

"Yeah…" Luigi said slowly as Nikolai crossed himself, praying quietly. "Oh no…" Marius said as he limped over and looked down at the dead werewolf. Mac and the others appeared shortly afterwards. The general frowned. "Damn…" He shook his head. "Windbag ain't gonna like this one bit…" He rubbed his head, removing his balmoral. "Tha' would explain why Constance couldn't find him…"

"He vas already gone, I'm afraid…" Nikolai muttered sternly. Luigi was somewhat shocked by the shadow that flashed over the professor's face.

"We're missing people…where's Sigurd and Windbag?" Gadd asked as he looked around.

"They ran off into the fog a little while ago, they probably didn't hear us calling," Kalliel said, "We should go find them."

"Agreed," Asimov said. He was saddened by the death of the scout. "Requiescat in pace, my friend…" he murmured, crossing his hand over the corpse.

Luigi watched him with a heavy heart for a moment before turning to Marius, "Come on, you can piggyback, we need to find King Windbag." Marius decided not to object and clambered up onto his friend's back. Luigi felt a tug on his sleeve as Maverick appeared, trilling urgently.

"Show me, buddy…"

While the others broke off to search in other directions, Luigi, Marius, and Daisy all followed Maverick as his wound his way through the dense fir trees.

Maverick whistled twice. "Windbag?" Luigi called into the air. "King Windbag, where are you?"

Maverick stopped twenty feet ahead of them and barked. Luigi and Daisy increased their speed and skidded to a halt at the mouth of a small thicket. "Oh no…" Daisy said, covering her mouth.

"Here, put me down," Marius said quickly. He slid off Luigi's back, allowing his friend to run to the king's side. Windbag lay on his stomach near a shattered tree stump, crystal wand lying just beyond his hand. "Windbag, Windbag!" Luigi called to him, looking him over.

The king opened his eyes and stared through Luigi for several long seconds before groaning in pain. "Luigi," he whispered, his voice thick with fear. He pushed himself up onto his knees and doubled over, painfully. He grabbed the edge of his fur cape and pulled it back, revealing his bloody shoulder. An icy chill seized Luigi's stomach as Daisy and Marius gasped.

He had been bitten.

Windbag panted for a few seconds before taking a shaky breath. "Don't tell Nikolai…" He choked.


	45. Mhera and Madalyn

**A/N:** Been almost a year, and I apologize for that, here we go...

**Chapter 45: Mhera and Madelyn **

Luigi didn't know what to say. His friend sat before him, terrified for his life. Luigi's mind raced for several seconds as a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. "What're we gonna do?"

Windbag's eyes pleaded with him. "I should have made the final blow when I had the chance…I saw it was Geyma…and I hesitated…Don't tell Nikolai…"

"Tell me vhat?" the voice of the professor came from directly behind them. His smile fell immediately when he saw Windbag on the ground. The king blanched.

"No…you veren't…" Asimov breathed as the others appeared through the mist behind him. His blue eyes fell upon the bloodied clothing over his shoulder, and he felt his skin prickle in horror. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Zis cahn't be happening…"

"W-W-wait, wait, wait…" Luigi said moving himself between the fallen king and the hunter, "There's g-gotta be something we can do…"

Nikolai looked around the clearing for several minutes with saddened eyes. His long-time friend had been bitten and was now a doomed man.

By now, everyone had a firm grasp on the situation. No one moved, and the clearing became filled with a painful tension.

"Professor, please…" Luigi said, his voice cracking. "…Please. Can't we help him?"

A muscle twitched at the side of Nikolai's mouth. His brow lowered in thought. At long last, he sighed. "In less than one week, it won't matter…"

"What happens in a week?" Kalliel asked.

"The full moon."

"That means we still have time…" Luigi slowly spoke.

"For vhat…? Do you not think I haven't tried everything? Zhat I have not exhausted all possible theories and formulas to find a cure?" He turned and stared at the King. "Step aside, Luigi."

"W-what are you doing?" he asked tentatively.

Nikolai took a few deep breaths to calm himself. "Saving him from the torment and pain of his transformation," he said this to the king rather than Luigi.

Luigi's throat was dry and his stomach quickly knotted. Of all the times when he had plunged headfirst into a problem, this was by far the mother of them all. He shook his head firmly. "I'm not. Maybe if we can't stop it, we can help with magic."

"Nyet!" Nikolai said suddenly. "I'm not saying anything against his character. But what's to stop him from spreading the curse to others once he changes? Luigi, I cannot bear the thought of that. He will have no control over his actions."

"Do you know that for certain?" Luigi shouted, becoming desperate. Here was the only family apart from Mario and Kalliel that he had left, and he was stricken with the curse of the werewolf. "Have you studied patients who were infected?"

"I have." Those two words Nikolai spoke slammed him like a ton of bricks.

Luigi was silent, fear eating away at his insides.

"Vhat I found was that until their transformation, their health deteriorated to zhe point of being a physical handicap. Once they survived their first full moon, they became feral, wild…a slave to their own instinct…I would never wish that upon the king...or my friends… Step aside; it's out of mercy that I must end his life…"

"Stop talking like I'm not here!" Windbag shouted before groaning in pain and doubling over again. He slumped over onto his side, clutching his shoulder. Sigurd stared at the goings-on with frightened confusion. He saw Nikolai raise his rifle and Luigi stiffen.

"I'll only ask once more…stand aside…" Nikolai said levelly. His voice quavered on the last note. "I do not wish to harm you…" When Luigi didn't move, he swallowed. "Do not make this harder than it is…" he whispered. Sigurd sensed the rise in emotions and finally figured out what was happening. Lowering his ears, he bared his teeth at the professor and growled loudly. Luigi shook visibly at the ferocity of the Ulfr.

"S-Sigurd…stand…down…" Windbag panted through his pain. The Valdyr stopped immediately and whined.

Gadd ran forward and seized the barrel of the rifle with one hand. "Don't do this…" he hissed at his cousin. "Don't do this. We can work around this."

"You are putting him in a detrimental position, Elvin…"

"Luigi…" Windbag said weakly. "…Move…" Luigi looked back at the king and swallowed before allowing himself to back away.

Asimov jerked the rifle away from Gadd's hands. "You must see reason, Elvin…I've seen what it does to the body." He looked at the king, swallowing. "I'm doing you a favor…you must understand…" He raised the rifle and cocked it.

A ringing CRACK filled the air as Luigi snatched the Sword of Lazarus from Kalliel and brought it crashing down on the rifle the moment that Nikolai pulled the trigger. Due to the timing of the strike, there was a small explosion and the air filled with the acrid smell of spent gunpowder. The smoking end of the severed gun barrel hit the ground with a hiss, melting the snow beeath it.

"Stop…" Luigi panted, sinking the tip of the sword into the earth. Nikolai sank to his knees in a daze, startled from the sudden explosion. It took several moments for everyone to realize what had happened. Kalliel and Maverick stared wide-eyed in shock. "…I've got to make my own choices now…we can't do this."

Nikolai felt weary. He stared at Luigi, breathing heavily. Gadd stood next to him and placed a hand on his cousin's shoulder, speaking in a barely audible whisper. "You owe me…spare him and I won't hold that debt to you anymore…"

"You said you wouldn't bring that up again…" Nikolai said. Luigi and the others watched as they conversed between each other. They watched as Asimov's shoulders drooped momentarily before he looked up at Windbag. "All right…a life for a life…my debt is no more…"

The air immediately relaxed as the others hurried over to help Windbag up. Luigi knelt beside the professor. "I'm sorry about your gun."

At this, Nikolai managed a small smile. "It was an heirloom, but apology fully accepted. Items can be fixed…"

Luigi fumbled with what to say next. "So…" he said quietly. "Are you going to be able to help him at all, even if it's temporary relief?"

"Yes…but Luigi, I am deathly serious when I say this…should he attack anyone; you, me, Daisy, the others…I will NOT hesitate to take action. Are we clear, young man?"

Luigi winced slightly, but nodded. He understood. He knew he was already pushing it by stopping him the first time. Luigi helped the aging professor to his feet. Asimov cleared his throat, "We need to move, the sooner we get to Rivagard, the sooner we'll be safe."

Luigi watched in silence as the professor walked away towards the camp. He swallowed as he slid the heavy sword into the scabbard on his back. It was then he became aware that Kalliel and Daisy were the only two that hadn't left with the others. Luigi ran a hand through his hair as he cleared his throat. He shrugged at them, letting his arms fall to his sides as a lump appeared in his throat. Daisy walked forward and embraced him.

"That was a very brave thing you did…" Kalliel said slowly. "…Good timing, too."

Luigi didn't say anything as Daisy released him. Kalliel stepped forward and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Did I do the right thing?" Luigi asked softly, mind and heart still pounding after the past ten minutes.

Kalliel gently squeezed his shoulder. "What does your heart say?"

Luigi was silent for several minutes as he blinked back the tears that were forming in his eyes. He finally gave a small, tired nod.

Kalliel smiled at him, "Then I see no problem."

As the three walked back to camp, Kalliel patted Luigi on the back.

Camp was hastily assembled as Luigi entered the campfire circle. A buzz of murmuring broke out from the soldiers. Questions of "What now?" and "What's going to happen?" came from every direction; from Man, Toad, and Ulfr alike. Luigi put his hands up in a gesture to try and calm the group.

Finally, Daisy bunched her fist and slammed it into the ground, causing a rumble and a small tremor in the earth before yelling at the congregation. "Alright, enough! Shut it!"

The chatter was replaced by shocked silence at the Princess' outburst and show of force.

"Thanks," Luigi whispered. "Okay…here's what's going to happen…" He looked at Kalliel, who only raised his eyebrows and with a small gesture, ushered him to continue. "…We're getting to Rivagard tomorrow. Windbag's in bad shape…as for what's going to happen…" Luigi's voice dropped slightly. "I-I don't know…we can only wait and see. I need your help. All of you." His voice became more level. "We're on borrowed time now…For the King…and for the rest of the world, it seems. I can't do this alone…Are you with me?" Luigi asked, his voice gaining strength. The response was an immediate roar of agreement.

Mac smiled at him knowingly. "What're yer orders, laddy? You're the boss."

Luigi felt his heart pumping, and gave a firm nod. "Dawn…At dawn we're leaving…"

"Aye, sah!" Mac touched his forehead and bowed before barking out orders for the others to prepare their belongings.

Luigi frantically looked around as the camp became a flurry of activity. He spied Gadd at the mouth of the King's tent, waving them over.

"How is he?"

Gadd rolled his eyes. "He's drugged at the moment…but we're cleaning him up. C'mon in."

Inside the tent, Windbag lay on his back on the bedroll. Constance held her wand over him muttering something while Nikolai rummaged for something in a leather pouch. The king's tunic had been removed to allow them to clean his wounds. Marius sat nearby with a bowl of water and a rag, cleaning the bite on Windbag's shoulder. Luigi noticed that his leg was splinted and heavily wrapped. "Just a sprain," Marius gave a small smile upon seeing Luigi's concerned face.

Luigi grimaced when he saw how bad Windbag's condition really looked. His entire left shoulder was a mixture of blacks, purples, and deep reds. His skin was pale and shone with a light sweat. His breathing was ragged.

"I never said it would be pretty," Nikolai said, pulling a vial and a syringe from the pouch. Luigi looked at the king's arm.

"What are those black lines?"

Nikolai looked at him over the rim of his half-moon spectacles. "That's the venom in his veins." He stuck the tip of the needle into the vial and withdrew a light lavender liquid.

Luigi blanched. "That…that's a nee-that's a needle…" he said as he slumped to the floor. Gadd sighed as he rolled his eyes.

"Oh dear…he really fainted didn't he?" Kalliel asked, kneeling next to him and checking his pulse.

"Yeah…" Gadd said tossing him a small bottle of smelling salts. "…Pansy... Just stick those in his nose and leave 'em there."

"Oh good lord…" Constance said shaking her head at the professor as Nikolai gingerly stuck the needle into Windbag's shoulder. Once finished, he handed the empty syringe to Marius.

"Stick that in the fire…" Marius did as he was told.

"If you don't mind me asking," Kalliel started, uncorking the small bottle of salts, "What was that you just used?"

"Very diluted dose of wolfsbane…" He raised his eyebrows and stared at Luigi as he came to, coughing.

Marius cocked his head. "Doesn't that kill werewolves, though?"

"In high doses, yes…to a fully formed werewolf, it is a powerfully narcotic neurotoxin. In my research, however, I've discovered that in the smallest doses, it serves as some form of morphine. Does it counteract the venom? No. What it _does_ is localizes the swelling from the bite."

By now Luigi was fully awake, and was listening intently. Maverick materialized beside him holding a small stack of fresh bandages. "Ah, you have my thanks, Maverick," Nikolai said taking them from him. "Luigi, would you mind helping me prop him up? I need to dress his wound."

"Yeah, sure…" Luigi said, hoisting himself to his feet. He knelt next to the king and gently sat him up, avoiding his injured shoulder.

"So your research…" Luigi began. Nikolai stopped wrapping and looked at him. "…did you have live subjects? I mean…how did you find out about the wolfsbane?"

Nikolai was silent for a long time. "I had two. One was…unwilling, since he was so far along, I had to experiment with the heavier doses…" At this he shook his head. "The second came to me of his own will." Luigi waited as he silently finished wrapping the king's shoulder. He gave a small nod and Luigi gently laid him back down. Constance covered him with a thick fur blanket to ward off the chill. "…He had been bitten and had immediately decided to come to me with a proposition. He was a poor peasant that lived in the village not far from my chateau. Had no family, no living relatives. I was able to amass several books-worth of data because of him. The only thing he asked was that the day before the full moon, I was to take his life." Nikolai stared off into the distance with a thoughtful, somewhat intrigued look on his face. "He never struggled, never complained about the pain. I asked him once why he decided to come to me, why he had decided to endure such agony…His response was that he wanted to help with my research. That maybe if there wasn't a cure, he could help field an idea that would at least reduce the suffering of the afflicted before the end. He managed to look me in the eye and say, 'There is nothing more painful than the thought of dying as a monster at the hands of a hunter.' He wanted to leave this world still in control of himself, still with his identity; his humanity…" His steely-blue eyes wandered to the prone form of the king. "…It was from then on I doubled my efforts to find the werewolves before they turned. So that they could at least die with their honor. Some wholeheartedly agreed, and their ends to them were a relief."

"Whatever happened to the man that helped you?" Marius asked quietly.

"The time came for me to end his life. I used the concentrated wolfs bane serum to anesthetize him…then…" He nodded, and the others knew what he meant. "To him, he died in his sleep."

The room was silent for a while before Gadd spoke. "So how do you feel playing doctor for them, now?" he smirked.

"You're pushing your luck, Elvin…"

That, at least, elicited a smile from everyone in the tent.

* * *

By morning's first light, the camp was packed and loaded up. Luigi yawned and stretched, taking a deep breath of the chilly air. The fog had dissipated during the night, leaving the forest rather beautiful. Pyewacket sidled up to him and nosed him to get his attention.

"The white-wings say dat de Ice-king is gonna be wolf-man…izzat true, Weegee?"

Luigi sighed as he turned and mounted himself onto Pyewacket's back. "Yeah. I'm just wishing for a miracle right now."

Kalliel climbed up behind him less than a minute later. "Daisy's riding with Constance and the King to make sure everything's okay. Marius was helped onto Pyewacket's back behind them by another one of the Valdyr as Skjold lumbered towards them.

"Marnin' sunshine, how ya' feelin'? Gadd called up from his saddlebag seat to Windbag.

Bleary-eyed, the King smirked down at him. "I feel great, just a bit cottony in the ol' noggin' is all…" His words were slightly slurred. "…We ready to go? Cold wind in the face might help me wake up. I'm fine, just a little groggy." He gave a nod and gripped onto Skjold as the dragon leapt into the air.

Pyewacket took off in a few bounding leaps, gracefully taking flight. Once in the air, Kalliel tapped Luigi on the shoulder. "I spoke with Mac last night. Apparently Rivagard is a Neutral ground that serves as a border fortress as well as somewhat of a pipe hub…Not to mention it's the floodgates for the entire Northern half of the Mushroom Kingdom…We can't let it fall."

Luigi's lips tightened into a thin line as he felt that wave of determination rush over him. "We won't." He urged Pyewacket to speed up and kept his face close to the fiery mane to avoid the wind.

By midday, they were rapidly approaching the Eastern mountain range. "Oh man…" Marius breathed, looking ahead. Beyond the edge of the mountains, the sky was black and heavy with red-tinged storm clouds.

"Darkland…" Kalliel growled.

"Hey, Weege, we've got company!" Marius called, noticing two airships rising to meet them. They were flying the Icelandic standard. The dragons banked so that the entire company was flying in the same direction.

The two ships were piloted by a small company of Hammer bros. Their captain leapt onto the railing of the nearest ship and called to them. "'Hoy, there! Who goes there?"

"At ease, soldier. The King has finally arrived," Windbag smiled as the captain's face lit up.

"We had received word that you were coming, your majesty. It's good to see ya' made it!" The captain gave the orders to descend. They set down in a small depression just outside of the main town. The airfield was located at the edge of the cliffs, over which thundered an immense waterfall. The ground rumbled slightly from its intensity.

Luigi listened detachedly to the conversations occurring between the King and the border guard as he made his way to the edge and carefully peered over. A small pebble dislodged itself and plummeted to the bottom of the falls. It was then that Luigi noticed that the bottom was obscured by a thick veil of mist.

"Oy, Luigi! Come on, we've gotta go!" called Windbag. With one last glance over the edge, Luigi turned and jogged over to the group.

The walk into town was extremely pleasant. The air was cool and breezy from the numerous waterfalls that emptied into a massive basin at the center of the bowl-shaped valley. Most of Rivaguard's buildings were carved into the very rock itself, while several small mushroom houses dotted the outcroppings here and there.

Once inside of the town, Luigi smiled to himself. The town itself was somewhat quaint, with a small terraced garden near each of the houses. The streets were filled with murmuring as the townsfolk clamored to see them.

"Make way for the King!" Bellowed a stately-looking toad from the front of the procession. Cheers filled the air as the King passed, only to be replaced with excited murmuring as Luigi followed. Looks of awe and hope filled the faces of the numerous koopas and Hammer Bros. that lined the cobble-stone street.

They were stopped at the base of the town's keep by a female Hammer Bro. clad in leather armor. "Sorry, but I have to ask you to remove your weapons before entering the keep."

Marius stared at her for a moment and the air grew thick with a slight tension.

"I'm sorry, but times are hard enough as it is, I don't want no trouble."

Something about her tone was slightly off-putting and the fact that she looked dangerously familiar to Marius didn't help his mood. He decided to keep his mouth shut as Luigi and the others turned in their arms to the guards standing nearby.

"Actually, that's why we're here," Luigi said. She didn't acknowledge him, but instead stared intently at Marius.

It took Marius a moment to realize that she had been waiting for him to hand over his weapons. "You too, stranger…" She said, emphasizing the word 'stranger'. Something in his gut told him not to take out his weapons, but he complied with her orders and removed the two white marble hammers from his pack. Upon seeing them, the girl's face went livid. "Where did you get those?" She spat.

Marius could feel his hackles rising. "I thought you said you didn't want any trouble."

"Just answer my question…" she growled so that only he could hear her.

"I've always had them…I fail to see how any of this is your concern."

"It's my concern, because there were only two sets of those in the world," at this she drew off of her back one of two black marble hammers identical to the ones Marius had.

"You're a thief…" She said brandishing it. Sparks were already flying between them as they both squared off.

"Don't. Call. Me. A. _Thief!_" Marius hissed as they both raised their hammers to strike. At that moment, Luigi darted forward and seized Marius' wrist as another female hammer bro. darted from the crowd and seized the girl's wrist.

"Maddie, stop…" She said, gritting her teeth. "The king's over there and you aren't making a good impression." The girl, Maddie, dropped her arm slowly and replaced her weapons. With a curt nod, she looked at Marius, "You and I are gonna have a talk later."

Marius said nothing, but lowered his arm as Luigi released it.

"What's gotten into you?" Luigi asked with concern. Marius gasped in pain as his leg gave from under him. Luigi was there to support him, and looped his arm beneath his shoulders.

Marius shook his head. "I don't know Weege. Something about her just…set me off."

"Why did she call you out like that?"

Marius shrugged, "Your guess is as good as mine…"

The girl that had stopped the guard turned and faced them, holding a basket laden with herbs and mushrooms. "Oh, sorry," she curtsied before them, "I'm Mhera, the keep's herbalist. Sorry for all that. I'll show you to the keep, if you'd like."

"Yes Ma'am," Luigi said grateful to be rid of anymore awkward situations. He shifted his weight so he could help Marius. King Windbag leaned close to her and said, "An Herbalist, huh? Well, I might be needing a bit of assistance later…I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention it to anyone outside of our little group here."

"Of course, your majesty. Right this way, please," she smiled sweetly.

Sun shone beautifully through the keep's windows, which had been crafted into beautiful shaped and some were even dyed vibrant colors. It was like a play of rainbows across the corridors as they made their way through the fortress. Passing by a very spacious room, Luigi stole a quick glance. Inside was the Pipe-hub for Rivagard and the surrounding areas. Half of the room was lined with large Green and Yellow pipes, the other was lined with the cool-Blue pipes he had grown familiar with. He noticed something, however. The green and yellow pipes were not functioning. He recalled that after his and Ludwig's arrest warrants had come into play, the Regent had disappeared, and the Pipe Zone had been seized. Luckily, the Icelandic pipes worked on a separate system, but to him, it was a grim reminder of their position.

Marius was in awe of the structure as they meandered through it. He gazed thoughtfully up at the high, vaulted ceilings, the expertly crafted statuary adorning the halls, and the bustle of Hammer Bro's and Toads. He liked it.

"I think I'm good for now, Weege. Thanks," He smiled at his friend.

"Are you sure?" Luigi asked with concern. Marius nodded. "Positive." Marius continued on his own with the group after readjusting his splint. He had to favor that leg, but it wasn't as bad as it had been before.

A hand reached out and grabbed him, sharply yanking him into an adjacent room. Another strong hand clasped itself over his beak as the door slammed shut behind him. Whoever his assailant was, they let him go rather roughly, and he whirled around with his fists clenched.

"What's the big idea?" he barked as he realized that it was the troublesome girl from before. He relaxed his hands before clenching them again as he took a deep breath to calm himself, bracing himself against a statue. "Who do you think you are?"

"Who I am is someone that you're gonna refer to as Madalyn, or Ma'am, who I think I am is none of your business."

"Well if you would be so kind as to excuse me, Madalyn…I need to get back to my friends…" He said, turning as jiggling the doorknob. The door was locked.

"Look," she said more calmly with a lighter hint of disdain. "I've got the keys, you're not going anywhere…I just want some questions answered. Alright? I don't have time for this nonsense…"

"Don't mean to be rude and all," Marius answered curtly, "But what's your big hurry, and why are you so adamant on accosting me?"

"Where did you get those hammers?" She asked, bringing her nose within an inch of Marius'.

"They were my dad's…" he spoke slowly, staring at her levelly.

Madalyn's face dropped and she backed away as if she had been electrocuted.

"What?" Marius asked, becoming concerned at her blanched complexion. "What's the matter…?"

"You're Marius Slater, right? Please tell me your name is Marius…You played soccer on Luigi's team for last season's star cup right? Your last name is Slater, right?"

"Yeah…" He said slowly after looking around for a moment. He let himself slide to the floor as his leg began to ache again.

Madalyn's eyes became somewhat misty and she swallowed back the lump forming in her throat. "Why did you leave?" she asked quietly, her tone much softer.

Marius froze, his eyes becoming wide as shock over came him. "I…didn't…I…" he swallowed, his breathing becoming more rapid. "I didn't mean to…I just…I don't…I," He stammered. Frantically looking around in an attempt to gather his thoughts, he looked up at her. "I…can't remember…"

"You…can't remember…? Incredible…just incredible…" Madalyn covered her eyes with a hand and she shook her head. "I can't believe you…" she stormed past him and jammed the key into the lock before kicking the door open. "You just disappeared, then, is that it? You don't realize that everyone thought you were dead…that we needed you…and then dad? Then, then…?" She fumbled for the next things to say, but tears began streaming down her cheeks. She turned on her heel and left.

Marius failed to notice that Luigi and the others were standing outside of the door. His mind was racing and his pulse was pounding in his ears. When he looked up, he saw the concerned faces of his friends. "How much did you hear?" he asked as he pulled himself up.

"Enough…" Luigi said softly.

Marius took another deep breath. "Which way did she go?"

"That way," he said, pointing to his left. "Marius. What's wrong?"

"Luigi, I need to fix this…I'm pretty sure she's my sister…" He said, limping past.

"Ooh, ouch…" Gadd said, casting a sidelong glance to Luigi. "You think this may be the catalyst to that spell you did a while back for his memory?"

"I dunno…but whatever it is, I hope it goes well…"

Mhera looked at them momentarily before setting her basket of herbs down on an adjacent table. "Please make yourselves comfortable. I'll go after them. He's in no position to be running anywhere. Please excuse me." She too hurried down the passage after the two.

"Relax," Windbag said, placing a hand on Luigi's shoulder. "You knew this would happen eventually, didn't you? It's best he finds out the truth for himself, hm?"

"Well, yeah…but, I know it's gonna be difficult for him, that's for sure," Luigi said, rubbing the back of his head. "I kinda want to go after him, I mean, it's kind of my fault for dragging him into this mess, isn't it?"

"Umm…no…" Gadd said, cocking an eyebrow. "Son, he chose to go with you on his own, he approached you willingly, as I recall."

"Well yeah, but-"

"Let's just let this run its course. It may be beneficial in a major way for everyone," Kalliel said with a hopeful smile.

* * *

Marius huffed as he barreled down the cobblestone street. "Excuse me, pardon me!" He called, narrowly avoiding a run-in with a merchant. His leg burned angrily, but he grit his teeth and pushed on despite the pain. He skidded to a halt at a large intersection that was swarming with people. "Oh…oh no…aw man…" He looked around, desperate to find a glimpse of Madalyn. His mind still whirled at a million miles an hour. Certain things were starting to make sense. He had a feeling that he had finally found his hometown, but without Madalyn, he'd probably never get a straight answer. "Crap!" He shouted, as he lost all sense of direction in the meandering crowd.

Through some wild inkling, he started down one of the roads. Suddenly, his leg gave way and he fell. Hard. Clutching his leg, it took every ounce of strength not to cry out. His hands and knees burned from the fall and his vision was blacking out. A surprised merchant cried out, "Someone call a doctor!"

The triquetra flared in his field of vision before he blacked out.

* * *

Luigi and Kalliel had remained outside while the king and the others discussed their situation with the elders of the village. The sun had dipped beyond the top of the peaks, casting the valley in a chilly shadow. They both stood at the shoreline of the lake, raising and moving large amounts of water. Luigi closed his eyes as he whirled around, whipping his blob of water into a ribbon that flowed around him with each movement.

"That's it," Kalliel coached.

"It's getting easier." Luigi opened his eyes as he suspended the watery mass before him.

"Your power is growing," Kalliel said as he merged his water with Luigi's. Luigi felt the addition to what he had to control and adjusted his focus. "Now, let's see you do something with your new power."

Luigi took a deep breath as he steadied himself. Sucking in another breath, he whipped his hands in front of him, sending the water shooting away in a thousand smaller globules. In the span of a second, Luigi felt within him for the Icy power. To him, it felt somewhat familiar, having dealt with a weaker version when he cleaned out the old mansion. With a flip of his hand, the water shimmered as it flew into the air and solidified into long, thin crystalline shards. In the dying light, they reflected oranges and pinks from the sky.

They froze in the air, suspended as Luigi held out his open hand; a massive shimmering, crystal chandelier in the dusky air. Luigi whipped his arm downwards, causing the shards to fall into the water. A loud crackling noise filled the air as the surface of the lake before them froze over into a solid sheet.

Luigi wiped the sweat from his brow, lightly panting from the exertion. "Well?" He asked with a coy smile. "Do I pass the quiz, teacher?"

Kalliel stared at the lake surface. A smirk split his face. "I won't pretend like I'm not impressed…"

"Hey you two, get up here!" Gadd called down to them from an outcropping above them, "It's time for dinner!"

"Gadd!" Luigi called up. "Have you seen Marius? It's getting late and I'm kinda worried…"

"No, son, I haven't…" He placed a hand to his chin in thought. "Ah, hell, with his leg in the shape it's in, he may be down somewhere." Kalliel had stopped, waiting for the word. "Boys, c'mon, let's go find him."

* * *

Marius stirred painfully. With a groan, he opened his eyes. Someone was gently dabbing his brow with a cool, damp cloth. As his vision cleared, the pretty face of Mhera swam into view.

"Hey," she smiled gently down at him. "Thank goodness I caught up to you…you took a pretty good fall. Your leg still hurting?"

He blinked at her for a few moments, trying to take in his situation and surroundings. His leg was killing him, and he was in a strange house. "Where…?"

"You're in my 'office'…well, technically it's my den at my house, but I've found it's much easier to treat patients in a more comfortable setting…I mostly work at the hospital up in the keep, but I do the occasional house call…" She reached behind her and picked up a spoon and a bottle. Pouring some thick golden liquid onto the spoon, she handed it to him. "Here, this'll help ease the pain."

He grimaced a bit as he took the spoon.

"Oh c'mon, it's not that bad, you'll actually like it," she said with a playful grin. He gave a small smile as he swallowed the mouthful. It was a syrup. He felt its invigorated effects as warmth spread from his mouth and stomach. It had somewhat of a spicy aftertaste. "It's my own recipe."

Life returned to Marius as he sat up on the cot. He noticed her staring at him. "Marius…Slater, right? The soccer star? You play with Luigi, right…? Well, in the off season when you aren't adventuring…"

"Huh? Oh…yeah," he cleared his throat. "Yes, I am. Why do you ask?" He felt a slight blush creeping up to his cheeks. "And actually…I'm not much of an adventurer…this is kind of a recent turn of events…" His face turned into one of curiosity. He could've sworn that he saw a glimmer of sadness flicker across her face. "Is everything alright…?"

"Oh?" Her face returned to normal. "Oh yes, it's fine…I just thought you may have been someone else…"

He looked concerned but nodded. "I'm sorry…"

"For what?"

"...nngk…" He swallowed. He felt as if he should remember. Something about her felt so comfortable and familiar. Now that Madalyn could possibly be his sister, he was absolutely certain that he had found home. His frustration mounted as he tried to remember everything that he had forgotten. "It's…it's nothing…Thanks Mhera. I really appreciate your help…but, um…how long was I out for…? And do you know where Madalyn went?" His head was still swarming with thoughts about what Madalyn had said to him…and now that flash of emotion across Mhera's face…what was going on?

"Well, you're welcome, a few hours, and yes I do…do you still want to go talk to her? I know she can be a bit stubborn."

"I would very much appreciate that, actually…"

She nodded and extended her hand to help him up. He gingerly took it. A searing pain exploded in his mind and his vision darkened. The residual warmth from the syrup he had eaten intensified, filling him with a strong rush. The triquetra flared in his mind momentarily before a rush of voices and images flooded his mind.

He saw two young Hammer siblings as they ran along the shoreline towards their waiting father. Marius recognized himself and a much younger Madalyn. He saw images of familiar yet distant faces, most recognizable out all of them, was Mhera's. She had been his childhood best friend. More images followed, filling the gaps of his memory. The fire, the destruction…and as quickly as the memories had started, they ceased. Every gap was filled; Luigi's magic had finally worked.

He shook his head to bring him out of his stupor. His breathing had quickened, as tears sprang to his eyes. He turned them and looked to Mhera with a new light. "Mhera…I remember now…"

"You…what?"

He paused and smiled. "Your hair…it was a lot shorter when we were kids wasn't it?"

Mhera gasped. "You…" Several things clicked at once for her. "Did you…lose your memory after you were hit?"

* * *

A loud ringing in his ears sounded as his mind wandered back to his newly refurbished past memory. He closed his eyes to see a Hammer bro standing over him, holding a hammer firmly in his grasp. His helmet was black and he carried the Darkland officer's insignia on his chest.

Marius stared wearily up at him, blood flowing heavily from a wound on his scalp, matting his brown hair. His helmet lay severely damaged a few feet away.

"Weak…just…weak. Grow up kid. Remember, there's one rule to the world…only the strong get what they want…the weak get nothing, so do me a favor and just stay…" He sharply kicked him, sending his body sprawling. "…Down…" The Army Hammer Bro, General of Bowser's armies, smiled wickedly before turning to a group of bandits. "Loot 'im."

Marius came to just long enough to stare into the masked face of the thief.

* * *

"…yeah…I think I did…I understand what Maddie was talking about now…about me…and dad…and…" He stopped when he noticed tears in her doleful brown eyes. He stood up and took her hands in his. "Where's Maddie…and where's my mother…?"


	46. Wish

**A/N:**Hello Readers. I realize that again, it's been a year since my last update and I was hoping that that wouldn't happen again. Sadly, life just has a way of creeping up on you and giving you some pretty strange and rough things to deal with that rearranges your priorities. Nonetheless, I am not planning on abandoning this story. I had all of Chapter 46 written and saved on my laptop, but I was a dumbshit and didn't back up the file on a flash drive and subsequently had my laptop stolen...go figure... I want to personally thank all of you for sticking with this. Thank you to my long-time readers who have stayed with this from the start; to the readers who stumbled on it half-way through and are still patiently waiting for updates; and to my new readers who only found the story not that long ago. Thank you all. I'm very glad you are enjoying it. It means a lot to me. This is going to sound really corny, but I also want to say to you guys that no matter how hard things get, always remain true to yourselves and don't give up on the things you are going for. I don't really doodle that much anymore, but for some reason this story is just fun to write and it's my hope that you guys will stick with me until the end.

So again, thank you all so much for staying with me and being patient.

* * *

**Chapter 46: Wish**

True to his word, Mario had made for Twilight town the moment he had caught wind of problems. He had sent Luigi a message, but his brother's whereabouts were still unknown, making his directions to Parrakarry very vague. He shouldered his pack and tightened his jacket as a chilly breeze brushed his cheek. He had left Peach in Toad town to help oversee the repairs. She knew her castle very well. He trusted her with leading the repair committee.

He sat down on a rock and set his pack on the ground. With the pipes out of commission, most of his journey had been on foot. The princess had included several magic items used for flight, a few of which he had already used, but for the most part, he was content with trekking on foot. He sighed as he stared out over the grasslands. The setting sun hung low over the horizon, throwing shades of russet gold and scarlet across the landscape.

Removing his hat, he ran a hand through his hair before rubbing his face tiredly. He closed his eyes. Somewhere out there, albeit far, far away, he could sense his brother. He relaxed a bit, knowing that he was alive. His letters had been few and far between, but nonetheless, they had given him some peace of mind.

He stared up at the first glimmers of the evening stars as they began showing through the twilight. The hair on the back of his neck prickled as a sly voice purred behind him.

"My, my…you're a ways out from home, aren't you, plumber?"

Mario said nothing, staring levelly ahead, refusing to acknowledge the owner of the voice.

"Now I wonder…what's a valiant hero like yourself doing so far out of the way?" Grym sidled into view, tail flicking idly. "Last I heard, your quaint little castle was miserably leveled. I imagine you'd be more capable at its reconstruction than your posh little girlfriend-"

He was silenced as a hammer came crashing down a hair's breadth from his nose. His lip twitched.

"Don't insult Peach…" Mario frowned. "Now, I should ask you the same question…why are you out here? My destination is none of your business and frankly, the fact that you're here only makes me think that you're part of the problem I'm heading to remedy…" Mario was not in any sort of friendly mood. The jab towards the princess had merely escalated his impatience. He was known for having a short temper.

"You're quicker to anger than your brother…" Grym said idly, having regained his composure. "As for why I'm here…I'm out for a walk. There is no deception there. A short hunt, a long walk. A chance to get away from my brothers. Surely as a sibling you sometimes desire your time alone…"

Mario shouldered his hammer. "Not at the degree you forced Luigi into."

Grym sighed impatiently. "I won't waste any more of your time." He began to walk away. As he passed Mario, he stopped. "Luigi is safe…so quit worrying…"

"…Wh-what?"

"You heard me…" Grym said heavily. He stared at Mario, the tendrils of shadow on his shoulders undulating in the cool breeze.

They stared at each other for several long moments.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"You may have wanted to know…what's it to you?" Grym's countenance was weighed down by thoughts unknown to Mario.

Mario licked his lips and took a slow breath. "I thought…you were trying to kill him…"

The Manticore was silent for a while. He began to turn away, "That information neither helps nor hinders you, so I don't see the point furthering this interrogation." He began plodding away.

Mario dropped his hammer and breathed a small sigh of relief. "You actually helped me more than you think…"

Grym uttered an indifferent grunt before disappearing into the tall grass.

Mario continued on for another hour before the sun finally dropped below the horizon. There was no point in continuing in the dark so he cleared a patch in the grass and lit a fire. He removed a sandwich from his pack and ate in silence, staring into the flickering coals. His mind was full of questions. Why hadn't Grym attacked him? He mentally berated himself for not noticing his approach. Then again, there wasn't much he could do, it was already past. But still, the thought nagged at him: Why had he relayed that message of Luigi's well being? Part of him strained to believe that there was an underlying trap, maybe a plan of some kind. But the look in the monster's eyes, and the indifference of his voice had filled him with the sense of truth. Why had he told him though?

He finished the sandwich and unrolled his bedroll.

He lay for a while staring up at the stars. He listened to the wind blowing through the dry grasses. He thought on what had become of his brother and smiled to himself. He held not a single ounce of jealousy or contempt for him. He marveled at the transformation taking place in him. He was proud of his brother.

A sense in his mind seemed to shine like a beacon, pointing to the far northeast of his position. It was where he knew Luigi must've been.

* * *

Luigi and the others stopped outside of Mhera's cottage. Maverick had led them here, yipping and whirring excitedly as he pointed to the cozy dwelling.

"Awesome! Good job, Mav," Luigi smiled, rubbing the boo's head. His rosy eyes glittered as he smiled. He filled his cheeks with air and gently slapped his arms against them, blowing small raspberries.

Gadd strode up to the door and rapped it with his knuckles. There was a voice from inside, "Coming!"

The door opened and Mhera smiled at them. "Good evening, everyone. Are you looking for Marius? He's back here in the den." She showed them to the back room where their friend was seated. He looked up at them and smiled.

Luigi looked at Marius curiously. There was a sense of newfound hope in his friend's face and at once, Luigi felt a sense of realization that it must be because his memory had returned. He allowed himself a small smile.

"Good lord, kiddo, we've been looking everywhere for you!" Gadd said good-humoredly. Mhera apologized at this, stating that she should've sent for them when she brought him to her home.

Luigi walked over and sat down in a chair next to Marius. "Find what you're looking for?"

Marius nodded and smiled at him. "Yeah." His grin dropped a bit, "I need to go to Madelyn in the morning and ask her some questions…You don't mind me staying here for the night do you?"

"Not at all," Luigi patted his shoulder. With his leg being stiff from the sprain, he felt that it was a good idea that Marius stays relatively close to where he needed to go. "We won't be going anywhere in the next day or two that I'm aware of."

"Cool, thanks, Weege."

Luigi nodded.

He paused, becoming aware of an odd feeling. He had felt it many times before. It was a familiar feeling; to him feeling like someone reaching out to him, like a hand in the dark. He silently left; unaware of the odd look he received from Gadd. He plodded out onto the terrace and stared up at the clear night sky. High above, unobscured from any light pollution, the stars glittered and shone like diamonds, thinly veiled by a colorful mist. The longer he watched, the more the mist shimmered until Luigi realized what it was; the Aurora Borealis.

Curtains of green, blue, and lavender light slowly undulated and waved in the sky as if blown by an unseen breeze. He felt again for the comforting presence. It was there and Luigi knew in his heart, that it was his brother. As much as they knocked heads in sibling rivalry, there had always been a powerful bond between them. One that had withstood the tests of the innumerable trials they had fought through.

He smiled to himself as he watched the curtains of light fluttering in the sky. With a bit of imagination, he could've sworn that he saw faces and glimpses of old memories in the lights. One of the imaginary flashes reminded him of an important matter that he had all but forgotten; the missing Mushroom Kingdom diplomat.

He became aware of Kalliel and the others standing next to him, admiring the sky. Though Kalliel was still solid, and lacking his powers due to another temporary resurrection spell, Luigi's master was able to read him like a book.

"Luigi?"

Luigi remained silent for a moment.

"We've got to find the ambassador…" Luigi slowly looked up at him. "He's here…somewhere…I know it."

Kalliel nodded. "In the morning, we'll ask the master of the keep about where to start."

* * *

In the upper floors of the keep, the Icelandic king paced. Burdened by a sudden bout of insomnia, he paced from one end of the royal guest room to the other, much like a caged beast. Turning finally to the heavy wooden shutters, he threw them open, allowing the refreshingly cold breeze to flow through his chambers. He pulled at his collar, panting slightly.

He had less than half a week before the full moon. Each day, he knew, would become progressively harder and harder to fight. A sudden spasm wracked his body, forcing him to his knees, followed shortly by a wave of nausea. The thought of calling for help briefly crossed his mind, but his pride stifled it. He was stubborn and strong, and at the moment, his people needed to see strength in their monarch. He turned his gaze to the bedside table where Nikolai had left a satchel containing several doses of the wolfsbane serum drawn up in prepared syringes. The professor had instructed him to administer his own doses, should he need them. They were extremely diluted, but it would provide relief from the pain. His shoulder throbbed where he had been bitten.

Trying to save himself from the nausea, he dragged himself to the table and seized the satchel, pulling out one of the syringes. He uncapped it, revealing the needle before roughly pulling his collar down and plunging it into his exposed shoulder. He hissed before growling. He had not been gentle with his administration.

The emptied syringe clattered to the floor. Windbag slumped against the wall in a daze as he felt the cooling numbness spread from the injection. He hated how the serum left him in a daze, but he welcomed the reprieve from the pain and fever.

A new breeze filtered into the room, snapping his attention back to the opened window. He slowly pushed himself up and shuffled over, resting his hands on the worn stone windowsill. He gripped it tightly as he felt the fever recede. He looked up into the clear night sky, sporting the Aurora.

As king of the snow-bound land, he had seen vistas such as this more times than he could count, yet it always held a sense of rare beauty that he knew could not be found anywhere else. Most of the beauty was lost on him this time, however, as the serum worked its way through his body. His head felt cloudy, as if someone had packed his cranium with cotton.

The greenish blue light shone off of the light sweat that filmed his pale face as yet another gust of cold wind breezed over him. Thankfully, the moon had not risen over the mountains at this hour. Nikolai had told him to stay away from the windows at night, in case he was "moonstruck" as he put it. Nikolai said it posed a great danger of transforming him early, which could be extremely dangerous for everyone.

He wearily shut the window shutters and trudged back to his bed before collapsing onto it in newfound exhaustion.

* * *

The next morning found Luigi and the others summoned to the keep. Marius had remained with Mhera, as they were off to find Madelyn.

Luigi had donned the surcoat and chainmail, as was symbol of his office; the others had merely dressed in whatever was nicest and best suited for the occasion. His hand checked his back pocket, brushing over his hat in reassurance. Even if he didn't wear it, he had to have it with him always. They followed a retainer up a winding stone staircase. It was well-lit and wide, allowing three to four people to stand abreast. The party remained silent as they climbed. They all knew that time was not on their side with a number of different issues.

At the top of the stairs, Luigi saw King Windbag waiting for them. A brief flash of shock passed over his face. Windbag looked positively exhausted.

"…Rough night?" Luigi murmured to him as they stopped to allow the retainer to run ahead and announce them to the keep's commander.

Windbag scoffed, all humor gone from his demeanor. "You don't know the half of it…" he grumbled. Dark shadows lined his eyes and generally, he looked pale. To someone who didn't know him personally, it would have merely appeared as if he simply didn't sleep well. To the younger man in green, he saw a man adept at carrying himself well even in the face of sheer turmoil and personal chaos. This man he saw however seemed to be fighting a losing battle. One inside of himself, but also burdened by the ongoing war with the shadow and the evil encroaching on his lands. A single twitch of his face to Luigi would've translated to internal crumbling.

Luigi gulped, his own tension forming another painful knot in his stomach.

The doors to the commandant's office were flung open and the company ventured in before being seated at a large round table, built of solid oak. A human in heavy iron armor stood pouring over a marked map for several long minutes before looking up and clearing his throat.

"Your majesty, your lordship," he began, nodding to Windbag and Luigi respectively. He set a leather-bound folder onto the table and slid it towards Luigi. "I'm skipping introductions. We have a lot to do and a short amount of time with which to work."

Luigi's countenance hardened as he opened the folder and skimmed the hand-written pages. It was a slightly battered field report.

"Some time ago, we began the setup for a sting operation of sorts. Our scouts found a Darkland outpost in the mountains to the Northeast of here. When we received news of the missing Mushroom Kingdom diplomat, we began our surveillance. We have plenty of reason to believe that he's been taken there. The report was taken by our spy-"

"When is the company moving out?" Luigi asked, suddenly. He already knew what the man was going to say. "I'm sorry," he noted the surprised look on the commander's face. "I didn't mean any disrespect. Just point me in the right direction. I want this situation rectified as soon as possible." To his astonishment, the commander merely burst into laughter.

"Don't be sorry, I'm glad you're eager to go! I'm sending my team out tonight if you wish to accompany them…The issue you face mainly is that the fortress is quite well garrisoned. Do you still wished to go? I can't guarantee your safety…"

"I do."

"Ahahaha! Then it's settled. Your majesty?" The commander looked to his monarch. Windbag waved a hand dismissively. The king chuckled dryly and smirked. "Get on with it."

"Luigi, I wish to inform you of the possibility of a counterattack. I'm not happy to report that their own scouts have been growing increasingly suspicious of our activities…" The commandant paused, seeing the look of hesitation on Luigi's face. "…Do you have any suggestions? Perhaps we can think of a separate plan in case things go awry."

Luigi nodded and swallowed. "Yeah…give me just a second." He scooched his chair back and motioned to Kalliel, the professor, Maverick, and Daisy. They all followed him out of the room.

"Who's going and who's staying?" Daisy asked him once he shut the doors. They all knew what he wished to council with them for.

Luigi pinched the bridge of his nose in thought.

Gadd eased some of the decision making. "I'm staying here. I'm too old to be doing any active spy work. Plus that crouching and waiting crap irritates my lumbago…" He idly rubbed his lower back as he continued. "I'd personally recommend taking Mav with you. He _is_ a boo, after all."

"Alright that's two down…I'm thinking…I don't think Marius will be back in time to be ready for departure…he may have to stay…I really don't think he'd object, though. This _is _his home."

Daisy was quiet for a few minutes as the others thought. Kalliel was silent as well. He knew he'd be adept wherever he went, whether with the rescue squad or with the home guard.

"I'm going with you, Luigi." Daisy held up a finger and stopped him as he motioned to object. "I don't wanna hear it." Luigi closed his mouth and nodded. He knew arguing with her when she set her mind to something was nigh on impossible. He finally looked to Kalliel. "Would you have an issue with staying? I was thinking that having a knight here would be very beneficial if something does happen."

Kalliel smiled warmly. "An excellent idea. I wholeheartedly agree…that now just leaves the issue of the king."

"Son, Windbag ain't going anywhere…" Gadd said somewhat sharply. His brow furrowed and a frown creased his face. "Nikolai will not let him out of here. There's only two nights left before the full moon…"

"Oh man…" Luigi groaned. They were running out of time with that aspect, and he hadn't even come up with any ideas on reversing the changes. He didn't want to accept the notion of the possibility that there was nothing they could do. He simply nodded, albeit heavily. The professor reached around him and patted him on the middle of the back, due to his height.

"We'll figure something out."

Luigi heavily nodded again.

They reentered the conference room and told the commandant of their decisions. He nodded silently, seeing their sullen expressions. With a few more bits said to his officers, the keep's commander dismissed them all.

"Kalliel, wait!" Luigi stopped his friend in the corridor after the meeting. The older man turned and cocked an eyebrow as Luigi held out a small leather satchel and a folded piece of heavy parchment. "I need you to take these."

Kalliel opened the satchel and blanched slightly. "Luigi…giving a spirit back its orb of power is an extremely dangerous endeavor…" he whispered, shocked at the sight of the blue orb, glowing softly with a lucid light inside of the satchel.

"Listen; just…use it if something goes wrong. I don't have any way of actively communicating with you…I trust you." There was a pregnant pause between the two. Kalliel gave a single firm nod before closing the satchel and placing it into his pocket.

"Very well…I've never heard of this happening in the history of the order, but perhaps…given the circumstances…a little unorthodox improvisation wouldn't hurt."

"Isn't that pretty much how we function anyways?"

Kalliel couldn't help a hearty laugh at his friend's remark. "Very true, very true." He examined the parchment, seeing Luigi's instructions. They were simple ideas for a signaling system.

"If you can," Luigi added as Kalliel read, "See if they have phosphorus flares here."

"Phorsfor…what?"

"Phosphorus flares. They burn blinding white when ignited." Luigi shrugged, "They may have called them something different when you were around." At this Kalliel smirked.

"Possibly."

"…But see if you can get some to use if there's a counterattack while we're out. Show this to the commander or talk to him or something…I'm not good at being a general or giving orders…"

Kalliel smiled softly at him. "I understand. Do not worry, I shall not let any harm come to this city."

Luigi, slightly breathless due to the knot of anxiety in his stomach, sighed with slight relief and smiled. "Thank you." The two clasped each other's forearms in a brotherly gesture before Luigi hurried off to prepare.

* * *

Marius stretched his leg. Mhera had removed the splint and was now helping him support his weight as he gingerly tested it out. He slowly evened his weight, removing his arm from her shoulder.

"Th-Thanks," he muttered sheepishly. He walked around the den-turned-clinic a few times. It was still a little sore, but the herbalist's masterful tending had done wonders. "Okay, I think I'm good."

"Alright, come on." Mhera led him out of her house and down the cobblestoned streets. They passed by the outdoor market, bustling once again with activity as merchants was stood hawking wares to potential customers. Twice he was turned around by the large crowd, before he was pulled back to the right way by Mhera. She took his hand.

"Here, maybe this'll help a bit," she laughed with a sweet smile. Marius felt himself blush fiercely as she turned and led him down a side road. The pathway sloped down a bit to the lakeshore, where toad and koopa children played. The two walked side by side for a moment, relishing the quiet peace. It was kind of nice, Marius thought. He felt a strange sense of contentment, walking with his old friend. He was lost in his reverie for a time, yet always his thoughts, and his eyes came to rest on her.

He blushed as he realized his heart was beating a bit faster.

Marius managed to turn his gaze back to the lake. From the far corner he could see a wooden bridge spanning over the last quarter of the reservoir. It ended on the far shore at a trail that wound upwards into the mountains. _That looks like fun to climb, I wonder if Mhera would…no, no, we're not on vacation; snap out of it, _he mentally chided himself. Besides, parts of the trail looked a bit steep and rocky, and he didn't want her to get hurt. He shook his head again. There he went with being the overbearing "big-brother" again…

BUMP

He ran smack into Mhera. She turned her head and looked at him with a cocked eyebrow. "Way to go, dummy. Watch where you're going," she stared at him before cracking into a smile and laughing. She couldn't keep a straight face.

"S-sorry, I was just, uh…" Marius stammered, rubbing his nose where he bumped her.

"Don't fuss over it, besides…" She nodded toward a pretty house just down the way from them. "We're here."

Marius stared, a small nervous lump forming in his stomach.

The house was a quaint cottage with a thatched roof near the shore of the lake. A small fenced-in vegetable garden lay off to the left, the smells of fragrant herbs strong in the late afternoon breeze. A rack of drying salmon was hanging just off from the house. Behind the house a ways, Marius spied a smithing shed, its fires recently doused. Voices from inside trailed through the opened kitchen window.

"Go ahead, they're home," Mhera said, nudging him. He nodded and approached the house. Barely an inch away from the door, Marius stood poised to knock when the door crashed open and bashed him squarely in the face.

Madelyn stood in the doorway shouldering a rucksack with an annoyed look on her face. She looked at Marius who was clutching his face and back to Mhera. "Seriously? You brought him here…?"

Mhera stared at her stoically, setting her jaw. Marius straightened up, checking to make sure that his beak wasn't bent before speaking. "Madelyn please, just listen to me, I just need five minutes, please."

Madelyn opened her mouth to speak, but snapped it shut and shook her head. She looked at the sky momentarily for the sun's position. "Look, I'm running late for a mission." She knew she wouldn't permanently shake him off, but she definitely wasn't in the mood to banter about the past at the moment. "I'll strike a deal with you," she muttered curtly, "If I come back alive, I'll talk to you." She brushed past and strode up the path, placing her helmet on her head as she went.

"She will," Mhera said when she was out of earshot. "Just give her a bit to come around."

"I can understand why she's mad at me, but jeez," Marius sighed. "That was a bit unnecessary," he sorely rubbed his nose.

"She didn't mean it, I promise. Now come on," She said, gently taking his arm. "Someone else is here who might be happy to see you."

They both stepped through the threshold into the foyer of the house. It was rather large on the outside, but it looked even bigger inside. The living area was spacious, with a cozy fire crackling on the hearth.

"Mhera?" An older woman's voice called. "I'm in the storeroom, dear!"

"I've brought someone to visit!" Mhera called. She looked at Marius and whispered, "Come on, don't keep her waiting."

"Her who?" Marius asked uneasily.

The 'her' in question climbed up the storage cellar steps into the kitchen. She closed the heavy wooden door and bolted it before wiping the sweat from her brow and sighing. "Whew, it's still warm down there, any more of this and I'll have to resort to putting ice blocks down." She stood with her back to them, emptying the contents of her basket into a bin. "I'll be with you in a second, Mhera, dear."

Marius felt a knot form in his stomach and fidgeted. Mhera smiled at him. "It's no rush Mrs. Slater."

Marius stifled a sharp gasp as he realized who it was: His mother.

The older woman hummed a quiet tune to herself as she pulled a large slab of smoked salmon from a cupboard before tending to the contents of the bin. She pulled out potatoes and carrots and set them in the sink to soak as she pulled out a good-sized rutabaga. She sat it on the counter and heaved a contented sigh before turning. "Now Mhera, you said something about a…visitor…?" Her voice trailed as she laid eyes on Marius.

Her beak hung open for a moment as she looked at him; first with a look of curiosity, then with one of shock. She raised a finger. "I know you…" Her breath began to catch in her throat.

Marius stared at her, trying to find words. From the moment he saw her face, he was one-hundred percent sure that he was home. He was one-hundred percent sure that she was his mother, that Mhera had been his best childhood friend, and that Madelyn was his sister. Nothing had ever felt surer in his life.

He fiddled momentarily with the strap on his helmet and removed it out of respect. He ruffled his shaggy brown hair, slightly embarrassed at the thought of how horrible the helmet had matted it. He looked back to her. Her hair was of medium length and the same color of auburn brown that his was albeit streaked with gray. Her face was etched with fine lines, but it did not mar the fact that she was a very pretty woman. Her eyes were a mulled brown, much like his own. Her build was lean, but certainly not petite and she stood half a head shorter than him.

Marius still fought to find words to say, but couldn't. His mother's eyes welled with tears. "It can't be…it just can't be…I thought…I thought…" Her voice cracked. He dropped his helmet and embraced her as she sobbed into his shoulder.

"Please don't hate me," Marius found his voice. "Madelyn already does. I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…"

"I don't hate you…I never could…" she sobbed. "I thought I had lost you!" Her voice was choked with happiness. Mhera herself couldn't help but choke up at the sight.

Again, his mind wandered back to how things used to be, how they had been for those foggy twelve years of his life and how far he had gone to arrive at this moment. He was finally home.

* * *

Luigi and Daisy sat on an outcrop with the rest of the soldiers, patiently waiting for their leader. The sun was beginning to dip behind the peaks of the western mountains, casting blue and purple shadows over everything. Maverick hovered nearby, lulling into a slight doze. Luigi drew a dark navy cable-knit sweater from inside his pack and slipped it on over his shirt and vest as Daisy slipped a wool-knit cap over her hair and ears. The others had voiced their concerns about how it would be cold that evening and were doing the same. Some were strapping on light leather armor over their sweaters while others were drawing waterproof moleskin cloaks from their packs. Luigi figured that was a good idea and did the same. He tightened his trusty cap over his head and wrapped the cloak tighter around him as a wintry breeze stirred.

A trilling call of a night owl caused him to jump. Daisy sniggered and reminded him that it was one of the soldiers. _That's right, they're trained for stealth, so they use animal calls_, he noted to himself. He shuddered a bit with anticipation and chill as another trill sounded farther down the bank.

Madelyn appeared around a boulder and hurried to their spot.

"Alright," she said, slightly out of breath. It was obvious that she had been hustling. She pulled on a dark sweater of her own and quickly buckled on dark leather knee and shoulder pads. "No one talks until we get to the rendezvous, clear?"

There was a quiet chorus of 'clear's and 'yes ma'am.' She looked at Luigi. "No armor for you?" She smirked at him.

"No thanks, I move faster without it."

"I hope for your sake, you're right," she gave a slight chuckle. "You know where we're heading, right?"

"We went over it before you got here, yeah." Luigi was now bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet to ward off the chill and to ward off his anticipation. He felt exactly like this was the start of a big soccer match.

"Awesome…" She trailed off as she waved a hand dismissively to her company. The others dispersed to gather their things as she looked at Luigi. "I know it doesn't look it, but I'm glad to have you along." She slapped him on the shoulder as she made her way up the sloping trail. Luigi watched her go then looked at Maverick and Daisy with a puzzled look. "Wonder what changed her mood?"

"She probably just needed to get out and do something, like you," Daisy said knowingly with a smirk. "All of us have a bunch of nervous energy and we've gotta go smack some heads, y'know?" She punched her fists together for emphasis.

He admired her enthusiasm, but shook his head lightly. "Hopefully we won't have to bash anyone. It'll just be a quick in and out rescue."

"Luigi when does anything ever go the way you want it to?" She paused for a moment with a knowing look. Luigi gave her a look that screamed "Oh, come on…" She stuck her tongue out coyly at him. They shouldered their packs and caught up with the group. Madelyn looked them all over before issuing quiet, but firm commands. The mountain slopes would amplify loud calls, a fact that they all took into consideration.

"Company, move, double time!"

The group set off at a brisk pace, some dispersing ever so slightly to alleviate the appearance of line formation. The company of hammer bros, koopas, toads, and the lone shyguy traversed the mountain paths nimbly. The switchbacks were precarious; often times forcing them to leap from rock to rock like mountain goats. Madelyn bounded ahead, leading her platoon with surefooted ease. Luigi split from the group as they came to a place where the trail narrowed painfully. With a small crouch, he flung himself high into the air, bounding from boulder to boulder as he scaled the cliff-face. He reached a rocky outcrop, stopping to catch his breath. He had to allow a bit of extra energy to compensate for the added weight of his rucksack. Despite that, because of his trail choice, he had reached the rendezvous point ahead of the group.

It was a secluded outcropping; a flat area with a natural wall of rocks and crags that offered a perfect scout lookout. He dropped his pack and, taking care to stay low behind the screen of rocks, peered over into the next valley. He gasped.

A medium-sized fortress sat nestled amongst the cliffs, built of the same dark stone as the mountain. It was built into the point of the valley, making attack from behind impossible. Torches flickered amongst the battlements.

Something was strange to Luigi. He didn't see any patrols on the parapets nor were there very many signs of life at all.

A hand clamped over his mouth, stifling his surprised gasp as Madelyn caught her breath beside him.

"I didn't want to startle you and have you make a bunch of noise, sorry."

"You did a fine job of _not_ startling me," Luigi replied somewhat annoyed.

Madelyn took a few deep breaths to steady her heart rate as she looked at the fortress. "What's wrong, you were staring pretty intently?"

"There isn't anyone there," Luigi whispered.

"What…?" Madelyn stared at him, her mind racing as she scanned the view before them. "No, no, there is a small bunch down amongst the rocks near the entrance…and one or two archers in the left post over there," she pointed to the wall where a wooden platform and stockade sat partially hidden. Luigi hadn't seen them. "…But you're right…there isn't hardly anyone there…Where is everyone? I didn't get any Intel on this at all." The last part she muttered more to herself than anything but Luigi heard every word. He could hear the panic in her voice. Clearly, an excellently thought out plan was crumbling before her eyes.

"Wait, _you're_ the spy?"

She looked at him. "…That obvious huh?" She was slightly embarrassed at her slip of the tongue.

"I thought the dark armor when we first got here was a little off but for the most part I really wouldn't have guessed…How do we know we can trust you…? Espionage experts have a habit of switching back at forth on a whim…" His last statement was leveled with suspicion.

She stared at him long and hard, unable to really contend with his words. She had grown so accustomed to her hard outer shell and demeanor that when called out, she found it hard to respond.

"I'm not like that."

Luigi grabbed her shoulder firmly. "I need to know if we can trust you…"

"I'm Marius' sister; do you really think I have a bad bone in my body?"

There was a long pause as Luigi stared into her eyes. She was telling the truth. He also saw that she was confused and surprised at the turn of events. Her brother suddenly reappearing back into her life mixed with their current situation created a strong sense of befuddlement in the normally rock-solid warrior.

"At least you're admitting to it now," Luigi said reassuringly with a small chuckle.

"Now isn't the time for that, I already told him I'd talk to him if we came back alive…Now I'm actually hoping that it won't be the case…"

"What do you mean?"

"…I have a nasty feeling that this is some kind of trap…"

* * *

Kalliel tightened his belt over his armor. He had opted for a plain blue surcoat over a simple mail hauberk, steel shin guards, and gauntlets. He hefted the Sword of Lazarus and slid it into the scabbard on his back. He was only playing the role of Knight-commander until Luigi returned.

He exited the barracks and found his way into the great dining hall of the keep. At the end of the table sat King Windbag, alone.

"Your majesty," He said respectfully as he sat. The king gave a pained smile.

"Not well…?" Kalliel asked, seeing the physical duress of the king's features.

"Not at all…" The king let his fork clatter to his plate. "I have no appetite; I can't keep food down at all…"

A slight clink sounded as Kalliel folded his hands and sighed, silently praying for wisdom and strength. The evening after the current one would be zero hour for the king. The outcomes, any and all possible ones, all looked bleak.

A feral roar erupted from the King's chest as he suddenly seized the table and upended it, sending it flying as he did so.

Kalliel leapt back out of shock, hand instinctively placed on the pommel of his weapon. The king knelt and covered his eyes with one hand, the other steadying himself as he took a few several shaky breaths. "How in the hell did I do that?" he croaked weakly. The table was a solid oaken affair, and at least ten men would've been needed to even lift it a few inches.

Kalliel swallowed and calmed himself before sighing.

"Stars preserve us…"

* * *

The hours of the night seemed to drag on and on as the team of rescuers waited in the mountains. Luigi tossed and turned, unable to sleep at all. Maverick whirred with deep concern as he materialized next to him. His goggles lay on the ground next to Luigi's bedroll, allowing a full view of his star-mark, now fully developed. The muted silvery-gray was a stark contrast to his snow-white body and looking at it gave Luigi a strange sense of slight ease.

"Sorry Mav, I didn't wake you did I?" Luigi sighed quietly as to not awaken the others near him. Maverick shook his head and licked him full on the face.

Luigi rubbed his face clear of the saliva before rubbing his eyes. He hadn't realized that a few tears had been gathering in them. Maverick trilled softly again, his face plastered with saddened worry.

"I just feel overwhelmed…Nothing is going right. Nothing I will be able to do can save Windbag…." He looked as if he wanted to keep going but he bit his tongue back, biting until tears sprang to his eyes from pain. Maverick set his face and motioned as if he were thumping his chest, chattering before baring his teeth and gnashing them for emphasis.

Luigi smiled a bit as he sat up, understanding his pantomime. "So it's just you and me against the world, huh?"

"Raar!" He barked, slapping his arms over his mouth as he realized it was a bit loud. Luckily it hadn't woken the others. Luigi knuckled him softly between the eyes.

"Goof."

Maverick licked his face again, coating it in a fresh coat of saliva.

"Thanks buddy…" Luigi actually really did appreciate it. His friends would help him get through this, he knew. "I just wish there was something I could do for Windbag. He's a good friend and…I don't want to lose him…"

He looked at Maverick again; back to his star-mark. It sounded silly, even a bit childish, but maybe if he wished hard enough, he might get some idea of what to do for his friend. Maverick looked at him curiously as Luigi told him of his idea. If anything, it would certainly make them feel a little better.

He watched the skies patiently, looking for a shooting star. Up in the mountains, he had noted through his travels, it had always been easier to see them. His patience was rewarded as a small star streaked across the heavens. Luigi closed his eyes as he had done so many times on Star Hill and wished. He wished that his friend would be saved somehow, or at the very least that he wouldn't suffer. He wished until it almost became a prayer. With his eyes tightly closed, he didn't see that Maverick was copying him exactly.

He stopped when he felt something strange. It was a warm sort of feeling, but one he couldn't quite place. He opened his eyes and gasped in a bit of shock. Maverick was glowing. His rosy eyes were squeezed tightly as he still wished. Luigi shook his head as he stared. The star-mark was lucidly shimmering.

"What are you?"

Maverick stopped and the glow dissipated. "Mwark?" He looked at his friend, puzzled. He and Sigurd had the same speech deficiency, red eyes, and star-mark, but what did it mean? Could Sigurd glow like this when he wished?

Again, he couldn't place it, but he felt a sense of ease.

It was as if everything would be alright.


	47. Nightfall

**A/N**: Hello, hello! You all will be happy to know that the next chapter is done, I'm just doing some cleaning up and stuff, so hopefully (and legitimately) it'll be up in the next week.

I'd also like to take a moment to congratulate everyone who made it this far! Because how the hell you managed to tromp through the early chapters is beyond me, haha :) I will in my off time be going back to revise the chapters. There are a lot of inconsistencies that are bugging the living mortal crud out of me, like speech patterns and small details that probably need to be rewritten. So yes, I'm going to start revising the chapters from the beginning, starting hopefully soon. Thanks again for being troopers and getting past them to be here!

**Chapter 47: Nightfall**

Marius spent the better part of the next day wandering about town with Mhera, talking extensively. They continued to do so even as they purchased lunch from the market and ate by the lakeshore. She talked about Rivaguard's history briefly before swapping stories with her long-time friend. Marius couldn't help but smile warmly throughout the entire conversation. He excitedly recounted his tale of his travels to Isla Tortuga and the subsequent events that led him back 'home'.

"…I'm sorry for babbling. It's getting late, eh… I didn't mean to ramble, but it's kind of hard to condense something like that, y'know?"

Mhera smiled sweetly and giggled. "No! Not at all! I hafta say, Marius…" She paused as she sat up, crossing her legs beneath her and resting her elbows on her knees. "…That's pretty darn incredible, if you ask me." Her smile dropped a bit as she stared at him.

Marius blushed slowly before clearing his throat, "…Hm? Yes?"

Mhera shook her head. "…Oh…um…" She felt a slight blush creep up her own cheeks. "…It's nothing. I just…I can't really imagine what you went through. I mean…what was it like? …Not remembering anything, I mean."

"O-oh…yeah." Marius rubbed the back of his head. "It was…rough. I mean, it was really lonely. I was scared at first, because I didn't know where I was or where I was going. Then something told me to start looking for someone…Not exactly a clear voice…it was kind of…a feeling of sorts." His eyes unfocused as he remembered, "I was found by these other two Hammer Bros. Hammer and Breaker. They're my brothers…my adopted brothers, that is."

Mhera nodded. "Oh! Right, I remember you telling me about them." At this, she giggled, "I'd love to meet them sometime…Do you miss them?"

"More than I honestly thought I would…ahahaha…" Marius smiled sheepishly. He did miss Breaker and Hammer's antics. "Y'know…on our last big trip, they sorta kidnapped me and we all stowed away in Luigi's suitcase. Part of me was really wishing that they would've hidden somewhere in the bags again…"

Mhera giggled, "Would've lightened things up, I'm guessing?"

Marius nodded, his expression turning somber. "I'm sorry, I-"

"Stop apologizing!"

"Mmm…" Marius bit his tongue to keep from blurting out another apology. "I'm just a bit overwhelmed. I'd love to enjoy this," he gestured around him, "…but it's just been…hell…the past week or so…" Marius buried his face in his hands. "I don't know why I'm spilling my guts to you, Mhera…" He bit his tongue harder to stop the tears that were forming in his eyes.

Mhera watched him for a few silent moments before slowly reaching forward and snaking her fingers between his.

"It's okay…" She patted his shoulder with her free hand. "…Sometimes we just need to vent, you know?"

Marius nodded silently. As he squeezed her hand, something stirred inside of him. He honestly couldn't place the feeling, but to him, it was a sense of comfort. He had only just met her again after twelve years and yet, it felt to him as if no time had passed at all. He let his mind wander back to his troubles before looking back to Mhera. She cocked her head curiously as she watched his look change. He loosened his fingers from hers and grabbed a hold of her entire hand in a more secure grip.

"I won't let anything happen to you."

Mhera looked slightly shocked at first. Her wide eyes locked with his and she saw only determination. She smiled sweetly at him. She tried to think of something to say, but nothing meaningful came to mind. Silence was better, she thought.

Still clasping the other's hand, they stood and walked back towards the keep.

* * *

The evening came quickly, spreading its peace to the inhabitants of Rivaguard's town proper. Lanterns were lit along the streets as people hustled into their homes. Small wisps of smoke curled upwards from the chimneys as each house's hearth-fires were lit for the night. In the keep, the evening did not bring peace, but a sense of foreboding and urgency.

Kalliel stood in mail and surcoat, frowning as he watched the King allow himself to be bound. "Are you certain of this, your majesty? Surely this isn't taking it a bit too far?"

"It's my choice, lad…" Windbag said heavily as the keep's Commandant secured heavy iron shackles around his wrists. His royal robes had been removed, leaving him in his travelling jerkin and breeches. "I'm not risking it." He looked up at the concerned Eidolon Knight. Kalliel's brow furrowed further as he realized Windbag was right. The King's appearance had degenerated alarmingly. His eyes, once harboring warmth and mischief, now sat cold and almost lifeless inside sunken sockets. His skin was sallow and carried a sickly sheen from sweat.

It amazed them all how in just a short week, the King had been reduced to this.

There came a quiet knock as Professor Asimov and Gadd entered the room.

Gadd clucked his tongue. "You look like hell…" He grunted as Nikolai elbowed him sharply. "…What?"

"Let him alone, ha-ha. He's right," Windbag tried to manage a smile, but the minimal effort seemed to leave him drained. He grunted wearily as his attendant fastened ropes around his arms and chest. Windbag swallowed heavily as he looked to Nikolai. "So…what's going to happen?"

"I…do not know entirely…" Nikolai removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. "…Hopefully, you vill change and be contained and ve vill go from there. I pray that you at least vill change back to yourself when the morning comes…"

Windbag stood silently mulling over his words. He finally gave a resigned shrug. "Oh well…Shoot me up, doc…" He offered his bound arms, referring to the wolfsbane serum. Nikolai held up a hand.

"Vait until we get to the dungeons…" He and the king clasped forearms in a brotherly gesture. "I am truly sorry about this, old friend."

"Believe me, I am too…"

The trip to the lower dungeons was solemn and seemed to stretch on endlessly. Outside of the colored windows, the light was fading rapidly. Sigurd and General Macpherson flanked the King, each with a strong hold on his arms to help support him in his weakened state. Behind him, Kalliel and Constance followed, praying silently to themselves. Nikolai and Gadd brought up the rear, each carrying a small satchel of miscellaneous items.

They both cast a solemn sidelong glance at each other. They knew the promise Nikolai had made. He would not kill the King, so long as he did not harm anyone. Gadd was just hoping that wouldn't be the case. He had grown quite attached to the somewhat goofy King.

After what felt like an eternity, they arrived in the dungeons. Through two separate heavy iron doors away from the main cells they went. Nikolai finally pulled a large brass key from his pocket and opened a heavy oaken door into a spacious, yet windowless, cell.

"This looks like it was meant for solitary confinement," Kalliel mused as Windbag took a seat against the far wall. Mac and Sigurd connected his chains to fetters on the wall, securing him. Sigurd whined loudly; a whine that turned into a mournful howl.

" Hey, hey, c'mon now," The King chided. "None of that in here…it's a small enclosed space…you're loud."

Mac heaved a heavy sigh before clapping a paw on Sigurd's back. "Ach, ye know yer goin' ta have tae drag him oot by his thumbs. He ain't leavin' ye, sire." He puffed out his great barrel chest. "An' neither am I, fae tha' matter."

"If you vish to guard him, you must stand outside of the door," Nikolai said quietly.

Mac elbowed the larger Ulfr in an attempt to stay positive, "We'll take turns, laddy." Sigurd merely whined in response.

Windbag shook his head and turned his gaze to the floor so his men wouldn't see the tears slowly forming in his eyes. He didn't stir as Nikolai cleaned the injection site on his arm.

"Now then…" The professor sighed. "…Deep breath for me."

Windbag did as he was told, breathing deeply as he felt the needle slide between skin and muscle.

"Alright then…You're all set, Windbag," Gadd said. The tiny professor watched as the King shook his head, much like a bear trying to rid itself of a few gnats. "Dang, son…you really shot him up, huh?" He muttered to his cousin. It had only been seconds, but the serum was already hitting.

"I vant him to be comfortable," Nikolai said quietly as he checked the bindings one last time.

"Comfortable yeah…blitzed out of his damn mind, no…" Gadd couldn't help but smirk as he watched Windbag's eyes flutter. With a groan, the King's head fell back against the wall and he fell deep into sleep.

Nikolai scowled at his cousin as he gathered his things and stood. "Come, ve'd best leave him be…"

* * *

A loud zap and a string of babble were all that was heard as Luigi crept up behind the pair of lookouts situated on the hidden watchtower. The two koopas slid to the ground sparking slightly as Luigi suppressed the excess static in his hands. He knelt to check their pulses as Madelyn, a Shyguy and a Paratrooper from their squad hurried over to him.

"Are they…dead?" She whispered, craning her neck to see over Luigi.

"Nah…just paralyzed…"

"That's pretty handy," Madelyn nodded her approval. It was a relatively silent method of subduing their foes without using lethal force. She looked around, "Where's Mav?"

A shriek cut through the still night air as Maverick materialized next to another nearby scout. Sticking his tongue out and growling, he watched in amusement as the frightened soldier tumbled over the edge.

The party stared at him with wide eyes.

"Mav…" Luigi said as the Boo giggled.

"Aw he didn't kill him," Daisy whispered as she joined the others in a crouch. "I heard an 'Oof' so we're off the hook."

Luigi grimaced.

"Okay then…here's what we're doing," Madelyn whispered as she rolled out a map and pointed to three separate entrances. "You three with me, we'll take the East entrance across the compound here," She pointed to the Paratrooper, the Shy Guy and another Hammer bro. She then pointed to Luigi, Daisy, and Maverick. "You three take the West entrance here," she tapped the map. "That's the closest entrance once we hit the parapets. Rendezvous outside of the mess hall, stay away from the Barracks…got it?" She waited to see everyone's heads nodding. "I'll need the rest of you to keep an eye out for any movement outside, in case we're actually getting in over our heads." She pointed to the remainder of her crew, ordering them to keep watch once they cleared the compound.

"I get the feeling we're flying by the seat of our pants right now, am I right?" Luigi asked, stroking his moustache.

"You better believe it," Madelyn said gruffly. "We might not get another opportunity like this."

"Yes, but if the garrison isn't here, where is it?"

Madelyn's eyes pleaded with his. "Let's just get in and get out. I don't know, I'm afraid to ask, and I really don't think I want to know where they are at the moment. Let's get in, get our guy, and get out so we can get back…"

Luigi could hear the panic in her voice. She was scared and he could sympathize with her. He wasn't sure of how many times that he and his brother had been in this situation: where a well thought out plan was thrown out of the window in favor of a spur of the moment action. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder, wincing as she flinched. "It's okay…"

She took a few deep breaths before shrugging him off. "Thanks…I'm fine, but thanks…" She nodded to her group. "Let's go, hurry!"

They all carefully slid down to the next outcrop then dropped down to the parapets just below them. "Go, go, go!" Madelyn hissed. Luigi and Daisy made a wild dash for the tower door. Both of them flattened against the stonework of the wall as Madelyn and the others rushed past.

"Heads up!" The Paratrooper called as he fluttered up and over the heads of a couple of drowsy watchmen. There were two resounding thuds as two black marble hammers slammed into the backs of their heads, knocking them out cold. Madelyn nimbly leapt over them, catching her hammers as they recoiled from striking their marks. A final guard struggled to find his voice as she spun on the balls of her feet and slammed her hammers together. The resulting blow from her momentum coupled with her new two-handed sledgehammer slammed the watchman up and over the parapet. Slinging her hammer over her shoulder, she pointed to her companions, "Get in, now!" She pointed to the door. Motioning to the remaining members of the platoon, she called, "Set up here, whistle if anything happens."

With that, she disappeared through the tower door with her men.

In the same instant that everything had happened, Daisy struggled with the lock. "Ugh! It's jammed."

Luigi peeked around the corner, "Well, that escalated quickly…" he muttered as he watched the body of the watchman sail over the side.

"Luigi!"

"Coming, coming…" he removed the Key from its scabbard and jammed the blade into the lock. With a slight turn and a click, the door slid open. "Come on!" He hissed as Maverick appeared from thin air and followed them into the tower.

For several anxious moments, the three found themselves ducking down the darkened halls, trying to find the mess hall.

"They weren't kidding! This place is a ghost town!" Daisy lamented, wandering into the center of an intersection.

"Shhh!" Luigi seized her arm and pulled her back, "Keep it down…"

"Hey, what's the big id-" she was cut off as Luigi held her tightly to him and covered her mouth with one hand. "Mmmf!"

Luigi silently grimaced at her, shaking his head desperately. Leaning against him, she could feel his heart pounding, and the hand against her mouth was trembling. Shadows appeared on the far wall as they waited. They seemed to pause, as if listening. Keeping her pressed against him, Luigi slowly leaned out to try and sneak a glimpse of who it was. Upon seeing the familiar faces of Madelyn and the others, he let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"Oh…i-it's okay, it's only the others…" he spoke mostly to himself as he released Daisy and slumped against the wall, clutching his chest. He slid to the floor, taking a few deep breaths to calm his nerves.

"Luigi?" Madelyn's voice called in hushed tones across the hall. She had her hammers raised defensively. Daisy waved them over.

"You gonna need a change of pants, there?" the other Hammer Bro. chided once they had all reunited.

"Shut up," Luigi glowered. He couldn't resist a light smile. "I'm good. I can't take much more of this jumping at every shadow thing, though…" He rubbed his face.

Madelyn helped him up, "Neither can I." With a final glance over her shoulder, she beckoned to them. "Come on, the dungeons are a little bit farther down." She shook her head irritably, "I can't believe there isn't anyone here…what is going on?"

The need to sneak about the castle was rendered superfluous, as there truly was no one in the fort.

"…I-I don't like this…" Luigi lamented, as they heaved open the door to the dungeon at last.

They all looked at him. He was visibly shaking.

"I th-think Madelyn was right…this smells l-like a trap…"

"…" Madelyn looked around momentarily. "I know, Luigi…but we can't go back now, we're here. I know I was worried about it earlier and all…but…what if we seriously just timed it right? Y'know, I hate to admit this, but they may have emptied the castle to attack Rivaguard… but in doing that, they left themselves wide open…" she winced at how ridiculous that sounded, but she had to hold onto something positive. She offered a small smile. "It's okay, remember?"

Luigi sighed. "Yeah…"

With a final heave, the door to the dungeon swung open. A blast of cold, damp air brushed past their cheeks. "Eesh…"Daisy said, "How can they keep anyone down here? It's dank…and musty…and gross…" she pulled face as she stepped over a rat's nest.

"Spread out, guys…" Luigi said. They all split to check the expansive cells.

Aside from the shuffling of their feet, the silence was broken by an occasional 'Nope!' as they checked the seemingly empty cells. The time slipped past, the minutes eventually turned into an hour before Luigi began to examine the walls.

"This is driving me nuts…" Daisy growled. "We've checked every friggin' cell. Twice, even!" She sighed impatiently as she sat down on the floor.

"I don't get it…"Madelyn mused. "He should be here…" She trailed off upon seeing Luigi examining the wall. "Hm? What's up, Luigi?"

Luigi wiped his hand across the dampened stones, recalling what Madame Clairvoya had said about the missing diplomat. "He's beneath the mountains in the Eastern Ridge, beneath a river…" he trailed off as he looked at the niter and water on his hand. "…This is the only place he can be…" He whispered hurriedly to himself. The others silently watched him, choosing to stand back as he mulled things over. "…Rivaguard…Everything pointed to Rivaguard…Darkness encroaching on the lands in the East…that's what the Ice Spirit said…What about that barrier…is it even holding?" His attention snapped back to the wall. "He _is_ here, and Rivaguard's in trouble…" Luigi said out loud to the others. "Start pulling on torches and press the blocks on the walls, there has to be a secret entrance somewhere we missed…we don't have much time, hurry!"

The others split up again to pull on every chain, sconce and lever they could find. Luigi gently felt along the walls. "I found it!" He called out finally, stopping inside of the second cell.

"Where?!" Daisy called as they all rushed over. Luigi was tapping the stones momentarily before holding his hand over the wall. There's air coming through between these cracks here…Mav! Go on through and see if you can find anything!"

The Boo gave a hasty salute before materializing through the walls. Sure enough, he spotted a staircase just on the other side of the wall where they were. With a happy bark, he quickly followed it down. The stairway emptied into a large, seemingly empty cell. Looking around, Maverick's eyes narrowed as he squinted in the faint light. He cocked his head curiously as he took in the sight of the hidden cell. There were a few stones missing from the far wall, allowing a tiny amount of light into the cell. Maverick's rosy eyes traveled down the thin sliver of light and widened when they came to a prone figure on the floor.

"I think I've almost got it…" Luigi grunted as he tapped along the wall. "GAAH!" He screamed as Maverick burst through the wall whistling and yipping urgently. He took Luigi by the shoulders and tried to fly back through the wall, only to emerge on the other side after a loud Thump and no Luigi anywhere in sight. "Mav…?" he heard Luigi's muffled voice through the wall. He sounded dazed. Maverick winced. "…Why was that a good idea in any way, shape, or form…?"

The Boo emerged part way again to see Luigi rubbing his nose. He crossed his eyes and beeped.

"Bee beebeebee…."

"Yeah, I know…ya goofed…"

Maverick replied with a raspberry.

Luigi stood again and pressed a few more stones before one finally gave. All at once, the wall sunk in and slid to the side, revealing the hidden stairway. "Now then," Luigi said, rubbing his hands to ward off the chill. "Did you find him?" He asked Maverick.

At the base of the stairs, the group gasped at the sight of the crumpled man on the floor. "Oh my God…check his vitals, quick!" Madelyn called as they rushed to the man's side. They gently turned him over as Luigi clicked his fingers. A soft green light was cast over the scene as he raised the fireball into the air, where it suspended itself.

"He's alive!...amazingly…" Luigi breathed incredulously. His fingers were pressed gently against his jugular, feeling the weak pulse. The man looked terrible. His blonde hair was matted and shaggy; he had a scraggly beard framing a sickly, malnourished face. His lips were cracked and dry and his clothes in tatters. "Get him some water…qui-yeaAAH!" He yelped as a bony hand closed around his wrist.

"S…S-stop…" He whispered hoarsely. "Y-you have to…have to get out of here…y-you're all in-n…gck…" he choked weakly as Luigi gently resituated him.

"We're what…? What's wrong?"

The man shook his head. "G-get out of here…now!"

A sudden muffled cry brought everyone to their senses. The hair on the back of Luigi's neck stood up as he quickly turned to face the source of the noise. A quiet sense of rage formed in the pit of his stomach.

"Well, well, well…lookie what we have here…" A sly male voice purred from the shadows. "Luigi, huh? Long time, no see," The owner cackled as he stepped into the light of the suspended fireball holding a restrained Madelyn. One hand securely over her beak left the other pinning her arms roughly behind her back.

"You…" Luigi snarled.

The Army Hammer Bro grinned wickedly as he twisted Madelyn's arm, eliciting a pained grunt from his captive.

"Hey, look, it's not my fault you walked straight into a trap. Oh, and to answer your question before you open your mouth and more stupid falls out, yes…you were being watched since you left Rivaguard." He grinned again, "Shoulda listened to little chicky-poo here."

"Let her go…" Luigi said levelly, narrowing his eyes. Behind him, Maverick increased his size and bared his fangs menacingly, his eyes glowing crimson.

"Oh, I will, when I'm done saying my shpeal…Don't interrupt, it's rude…now, where was I? Oh yeah!" He released Madelyn's mouth and twirled her around, catching her in a dip. "Doesn't she make just the cutest little spy? Delivered everything right into my hands, hahaha."

"Don't listen to him, I didn't give him anything!" Madelyn exclaimed, seeing Luigi's angered look settle on her. "I swear, Luigi, please!"

"Nah, she didn't _give_ it, per se. But come on! Talk about predictable…It was almost painful!" He laughed again. He began to dance with her, dragging her to and fro in an awkward ballroom dance. "Sweetheart, lemme let you in on a little secret…You've been watched since you started coming here…I recognized you the moment I laid eyes on ya…give us a kiss, sweet cheeks," he chortled, pulling her close. She resisted, attempting to draw her hammer. "Ah, ah, tut tut, now. Where are your manners…? I know your idiot father taught you better…shame he couldn't make a better soldier…"

Madelyn's teeth ground together angrily as tears sprang to her eyes. "I swear… on all that is holy, I will rip your throat out…"

"Ooh, I struck a nerve…"

He trailed off as he felt an increase of static electricity in the damp dungeon air.

"I said…" Luigi growled as electricity arced from his hands, "…let her go…" The triquetra mark flared between his eyes. Though he didn't understand any of what was happening he did not like to see people tortured in this manner.

The General of Bowser's Army merely laughed. "Oh my, lookit you, wearing big boy panties…Look, it's simple. She shows up one day 'incognito' asking to sign up for my scouts. I say sure, what the hey, right? Well, see…I get a glimpse of her weapons and I said to myself…'Hell, she's got the Hammers of Dusk'… so I figured she's the sister to that brat I bumped off some years back…ha-ha, shame I didn't get a hold of his hammers. I'd have had Dawn and Dusk in the palm of my hand…"

"…What are you talking about? Hammers of Dawn and Dusk?" Luigi asked, keeping his hands in front of him in a display of power as he melded his fireball with the lightning, forming the St. Elmo's Fire. This all was moving too terribly fast for him to follow.

"Clearly she hasn't told you anything…Well; I'll give you the skinny. They're two sets of hammers forged from fallen star metal. Their father made 'em, and I wanted them. He wouldn't give them to me, so I drafted him. Punk turned traitor, so I went after them myself, took him and his son down to boot." He paused with a grin as Luigi stiffened. He was referring to Marius! "…Short, sweet, and to the point."

"Hate to break it to you, but the son came back…You didn't kill him…" Luigi spat. It was Luigi's turn to smirk as he watched the smile slide off the General's face.

"Really?" He nodded before laughing. "Oh-ho this is rich…and all too perfect." He regained his grip on his captive. He thought for a moment. "Hey, Luigi…Remember how I said I'd let her go after I was done? Yeah, that ain't happening…New turn of events," He sneered as he slammed Madelyn's head sharply into the wall, rendering her unconscious. A trickle of blood slid from her temple as she groaned.

"Wha-! No!" Luigi cried as he pulled his arms back ready to release the pent up magic.

"Luigi! No! Wait! You'll hit Madelyn!" Daisy called, seizing his elbow.

"That's right, listen to your girlfriend. Nice and easy, now," he chuckled as he slung Madelyn over his shoulder. "Ta-ta! I've got a city to sack," He pelted up the stairs, nimbly dodging the Shy Guy and paratrooper as they dove to stop him.

"Mav, after him!" Luigi called. The boo phased through the wall to save time. When he reached the main dungeon, however, he had to stop. His quarry was nowhere to be seen. He gave a low concerned whistle before returning to his friends. Upon seeing Luigi again, he whistled and warbled, miming desperately.

"They disappeared?! Just like that, then…great, just great…" He turned back to the diplomat. "Come on, we've got to get you to a healer Ssss-ah!" he hissed as the man's hand seized his wrist sharply again. Luigi looked at him, eyebrows knitting with concern.

What happened then, not a single person there saw coming…

Luigi looked into the man's face as it contorted into a pained grin. He showed Luigi a glittering black jewel that he held in his free hand.

"What…?" the young man breathed.

Luigi gasped in panic as the man spoke in a sickeningly familiar voice, "Should've run when I told you to…"

The hand cradling the jewel turned to shadow and was thrust upwards into Luigi's chest with inhuman strength.

All of the blood drained from Luigi's face. All he could hear was a rushing in his ears as his consciousness faded. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he swore he heard Daisy scream. As the shadowy arm was withdrawn, the weakened, withered body of the captive diplomat melted into a pool of shadow, from which emerged Judges.

Maverick burst forth with a furious roar as Luigi collapsed to the floor.

"Nooo!" Bellowed the paratrooper as he pelted forward, drawing a dagger from his belt. Judges roared as he batted Maverick away with a flick of his tail and slammed the paratrooper into the wall with a mighty swipe of his shadowed paw. The paratrooper slid down in a crumpled heap, dead. With a final terrifying roar, he silenced the rest of the company. The force of the roar knocked everyone to the floor in terror.

He slunk forward so he was standing over Luigi. Slowly, feeling was returning to the young man's body. With that feeling brought a sense of excruciating agony. He couldn't help but cry out in pain as his back arched. Judges placed a paw in the center of his chest and pinned him to the floor.

"Ugh!..." He gasped as the wind was knocked from him. Never in his life had he felt something so soul-rending. His eyes were wide, face pale, and sweat beading on his brow as he struggled to breathe. He grasped at Judges' paw, digging his fingers into the shadowy flesh. Judges merely watched in amusement as he writhed beneath his paw. The Manticore's yellow almond eyes flicked to the white scar on his paw and back to Luigi.

"You have _no idea_…how much I want to kill you right now…but you know, this is just as satisfying," he purred, flashing his teeth. "You ought to be thankful. The master doesn't want you dead yet." He chuckled darkly as he removed his paw from Luigi's chest, watching as the young man clutched at his heart and writhed in pain. "Enjoy that. I'm rather curious to see how long it'll take you before that Shadow Shard drives you insane. Enjoy the fact that you have any sensation at all. What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger, am I correct?" He laughed. It was a haunting sound to hear how much he enjoyed seeing Luigi suffer.

"How…?" Luigi croaked. "…The barrier…how did…"

"Your king is weakened…so is his magic…the barrier won't let weaker shades through, but myself? Hmmm. Something must've happened to the dear old king…hmm hmm." His chuckle chilled Luigi as he felt his strength waning. The shard in his heart was settling, a fact which tormented Luigi more than the pain. What would happen? Would Kamek be able to control him? If not, would he be able to see his thoughts? What would happen? What would happen?

"I'll leave you to it, then…" Judges smiled as he backed away. His body melted into a pool of shadow that slithered up the wall and out of the tiny hole. With that, the party was left to pick themselves up.

"Gaaah…ssss…urk…" Luigi moaned as he tried to push himself to his knees. He collapsed with a slight whimper, curling his legs into his chest. "…Make it stop…" he cried as Daisy rushed to his side. Maverick called in alarm, seeing the amount of distress his friend was in.

"Maverick, g-go get help!" Daisy managed, running a hand through her hair. "I know! Go get Pyewacket!"

Maverick uttered a sharp chirp and a click before phasing through the walls and away from them.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no…Luigi? Luigi?!" She gently took his face in her hands and slapped his cheeks, trying to keep him conscious. "Come on, sweetie, you have to stay awake. Stay awake!" She looked around for the others. The Hammer Bro. and the Shy Guy knelt near their fallen companion. In the far corner of the large cell, however, she noticed a crumpled heap. She shook her head. She'd worry about it later after she saw to Luigi.

"Agh…" Luigi cringed as he sat up. He clutched at his heart. "Gah…I can feel it…." Gritting his teeth, he turned and propped himself up on one knee. His head swam. Everything had happened in the span of ten minutes. The Army Hammer Bro, Hammers of Dawn and Dusk, Marius, Madelyn, shadow shards, Judges, Rivaguard…everything was a whirlwind inside of his mind, bouncing painfully around the walls of his brain. He was so confused. What did it all mean? Why were those Hammers so important to the General? Why? Why did everything happen the way it did? All of that…and they had nothing to show for it. "…Nnngk…" He doubled over again, trying to keep his senses. Looking around, he spotted the crumpled heap against the far wall. "…Wait…" he said weakly before a fit of coughing claimed his attention. Daisy kept a hand around his arm as she rubbed his back. "…Wait…go see…" He managed before flopping to the floor again. The cold stone felt good against his feverish face.

Daisy reluctantly left him as the others turned their attention to what was going on. A sharp gasp broke the silence as Daisy covered her mouth. "Oh!" She exclaimed, "It's him!"

Partially concealed by rubble, a withered body lay out of the way of the light. The owner was still alive, and groaned weakly as Daisy shifted the debris off of him.

"…Wa-water…" a small voice croaked.

The Hammer bro. rushed forward with his canteen and held it to the man's parched lips. After he had guzzled half of its contents, he laid his head back down upon the floor. "I'm so sorry…" He whispered. "…I couldn't do anything to stop them…"

By now, Luigi had crawled on his hands and knees over to where he lay.

"…It's not your fault…" He choked, massaging his chest again. "…They used you."

"..."

Luigi shakily got to his feet as the man asked for more water. He finished off the canteen before attempting to sit up. Judges had matched his appearance exactly, even down to the tattered clothing.

"…All of what happened to you was because of me," he lamented as Luigi leaned heavily against the wall. "…They took control of me…and forced me to write those documents…I don't know how…and now this…" He motioned to Luigi. "…They're going to get you too."

A shadow passed over Luigi's face. "They're not going to get me!" He snarled. He recoiled, covering his mouth with one hand. Everyone looked taken aback by his outburst. "I'm sorry…i-it's not what you all think, really…I'm just in so much pain…"

"Luigi, we're here for you…" The Hammer Bro. said, patting his shoulder.

Luigi nodded, then looked back at the man. "What is your name?"

"Davis…" He shook his head mournfully. "I can't even remember what my last name is anymore…I don't know how long I've been down here."

"Don't worry about it…" He took a moment to catch his breath. "…How did they control you? Did they use a black jewel?"

"No…no, they were more…more direct. A spell of some kind."

Luigi breathed a sigh of relief; at least he had been spared the trappings of the shard.

"Come on," He said heavily, offering his hand. The man groped about awkwardly for a moment before finding Luigi's hand. "Are you blind?" Luigi queried.

"Oh no…just… horribly nearsighted…my glasses have been gone for weeks…"

"Poor guy," Daisy said as she helped him up. "Come on, you two. We need to get both of you out of this nasty old place…"

* * *

Maverick chose to remain invisible as he raced towards Rivaguard. He strained to go faster as the wind burned his face. Down the rocky slopes, he didn't slow as he began crossing the vast expanse of the great mountain reservoir. As he neared the town, he revealed himself, winding up the rows of houses. He ended up passing through several, much to the surprise of their inhabitants.

The keep was so close…

High atop the parapets, General Macpherson sat, idly singing to himself. Sigurd had offered to take the first watch at the King's door, leaving the soldier to entertain himself.

"_Gin a body meet a body  
Comin' thro' the rye  
Gin a body kiss a body  
Need a body cry?  
Ilka lassie has her laddie  
Nane, they say, hae!  
Yet a' the lassies smile at me  
When comin' thro' the rye_."

He sang softly to himself, relishing the feel of the cold night air ruffling his fur. His kilt swayed slightly in the breeze as he hummed the song's bridge to himself. His ear twitched slightly as he heard Kalliel approach.

"Ah, Good evenin' tae ye."

Kalliel bowed his head in acknowledgement before taking his place next to the General, "I didn't mean to interrupt."

At this, Mac smiled, "Ach, don't ye worry. It's a repetitive song anywho." There was a pause between them.

Kalliel chose to voice his thoughts, which Mac wholeheartedly shared. "This feeling I have," Kalliel growled, shaking his head, "Everything is too still. I have a dark feeling…"

Mac nodded. "Aye. A storm's comin'…bloody great one, too…"

"I just hope Luigi is safe…"

Another pause. Kalliel's gaze stayed locked on the far lakeshore. Mac's, however, lingered on the other man's face. He grunted in response.

"Might I trouble you once more?" Kalliel queried politely. "Why is it that you sing so much? Do not get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy it," At this, he chuckled, "…but how can your spirits be high enough to sing in spite of recent events?"

Mac laughed heartily, patting Kalliel on the back. When his laughter subsided, he shook his great head. "Tha'? I dinnae know, lad. Why does the lark sing in the mornin'? Why does he sing before the thunderstorm? Mebbe he's grateful for the rain…Haha…eh," he shrugged. "I dunno. Mebbe it helps tae calm me nerves. Always, I've found music tae be a great motivator. Whether it be on the field o' battle, a feast, or just tae pass the time. Honestly, laddie. Anythin' right noo'll help move the time along." He winked at Kalliel. "When it strikes ye, next time. Let a song out. It might make ye feel better. Sometimes when I sing, the others follow…and then they feel better as well, do ye kin?"

Kalliel mulled over his words. To be grateful for a thunderstorm was to be thankful for the rain and renewal that it brought. Thinking back to his own teachers of ages past, he remembered a similar teaching. To take everything in stride, and see the good in all events, whether good or bad. It brought a renewed sense of admiration for the Ulfr general. A simple view, naturalistic, even. Nonetheless, it held great wisdom.

Mac's tail swished to and fro as a new gust ruffled their clothes and hair.

"Hm?" Kalliel grunted as movement below caught his eye. He started as he identified a flurry of wings and blue, accompanied by a white ball. "Maverick!" He exclaimed in alarm.

The boo seemed to bank and shoot straight up. Kalliel's eyes widened when he materialized in front of him. The boo looked exasperated, out of breath, and shaken. "Maverick, what is wrong?" Kalliel asked levelly, his eyebrows lowering in concern.

Maverick mimed Madelyn's capture as best as he could before he tried to explain to Kalliel of Luigi's predicament. He mimed everything to the best of his ability, but his sense of hast made his movements confusing and erratic.

"Someone's been captured…Madelyn?" Kalliel asked, placing a hand to his chin to try and decipher the boo's movements. A few seconds later, Kalliel's eyes widened as Maverick roared like a lion before slapping his arms over his mouth sheepishly. "Manticores…Luigi's been compromised?!"

Maverick nodded.

"That's why you're taking Pyewacket?"

He nodded again.

"Go then, I shall alert the others. Make haste!" He called as Mac looked on, hackles rising.

Kalliel stood in shock, placing a hand to his temple. He cursed his inability to use his telepathy. He couldn't connect to nor feel Luigi for that matter. "…Mac, I fear the worst…"

"Aye…" He growled. His lips pulled over his teeth in an angered snarl.

"I shall alert the others," Kalliel said again, taking his leave and rushing back to the keep.

Mac shook his head, alone once more. He looked to the round moon that was beginning to shine over the far mountain ridge. In one quick movement, he filled his cavernous chest with a mighty breath and unleashed a bestial howl.

* * *

Pyewacket slowed his pace to allow Maverick to catch up. "C'mon ghosty…Gotta get Weegee!" Maverick clung to his saddle, gasping for breath as the dragon beat his wings furiously, gaining velocity at an alarming rate. He rose over the lake, and bleated in alarm at what he saw. Amassing on the far bank was a horde of Darkland denizens. The glittering of torches shone on blackened weapons and darkened armor. The clinking of equipment mingled with hissing snarls and growls of the shades and koopatrols.

"Meeyah!" Maverick warned, patting Pyewacket on the neck, urging him on. They didn't have time to mess around.

"Uh oh…Dere's a gonna be bigga fight." Pyewacket set his face and pelted onward, staying out of the sight of the soldiers.

Along the ridges they flew, the wind keening loudly between Pyewacket's feathers when he drew his wings close to pick up velocity. The loud screeching echoed off of the rocks. As Pyewacket flapped a few times to steady himself, he pondered to himself about the noise. He grinned. He had an idea for later.

* * *

Luigi had given up trying to support Davis. His own weariness was beginning to overtake him to the point where Daisy had taken up the job, leaving him to lean against the Hammer Bro. as they made their way out of the fortress and outside onto the parapets. The scouts who had been left behind to watch their backs exclaimed in alarm upon seeing their battered and weary state.

"Wow! Wow wow wowow wooow!" A Shy Guy exclaimed, pointing to Davis.

"What the heck happened to you guys?!" A koopa exclaimed as Luigi fell to his knees, clutching again at his chest.

"Lots of bad news, I'm afraid," Davis said weakly.

"Where's Miss Maddie?" the koopa challenged as Luigi was helped to his feet.

"They took her…" Luigi groaned.

"What?! But we didn't see anyone come out!"

"Well, they got her…and I took a bad hit…" Luigi panted. He looked up suddenly as a slight keening met his ears. "We all may want to take a step or two back…"

"Huh? Why?" asked the koopa.

His answer came in the form of Pyewacket as he pelted out of the sky like a feathered comet. He came to an abrupt stop with a mighty flap of his great wings, sending the Koopa and the Shy Guy sprawling from the resulting blast of air. He landed heavily on his feet as Maverick let go of his saddle and toppled to the ground with a faint cry.

"Weegee! Ghosty say you hurt!" Pyewacket snuffled and sniffed, "No smell blood…"

"It's not like that, Pyewacket…Judges got me with a shadow shard…"

Pyewacket gasped. "Weegee gonna be stinky shadow man like Nardis?"

"No!" Luigi cried as his legs buckled beneath him. He reached out and gripped Pyewacket's neck as the blue yoshi moved to support him. "No, Pyewacket, don't say that. No, I'm not…I'm going to be kinda sick for a bit though…I need to ask Kalliel about it…Agh…" His strength came and went in waves. Each time it left, however, he was stricken with a sickening pain in his chest and stomach.

Pyewacket looked up in shock, as he had just remembered a rather important detail. "Weegee! We gotta go! Issa big army comin'!"

"Army?" They asked as they helped Davis onto Pyewacket's back.

"Yah! Dersa biiig bunch of shadymans…"

"Oh no…" Luigi groaned. Every feeling that he had felt in the pit of his stomach had been correct. "This really can't get any worse can it…?"

He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against Pyewacket for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts.

Maverick appeared beside him and trilled lowly, patting him on the head with a flipper-like arm. When the only response he got was Luigi's shoulders dropping farther, he nuzzled his friend's cheek with his own. Luigi opened his eyes and slowly angled his head so he could see Maverick. His friend was trying to get him to keep going. Despite the outlook on things, they had a job to do. He straightened up and rubbed Maverick between the eyes. "Thanks buddy."

"Do you need some help, Luigi?" Daisy asked from atop Pyewacket as she extended her hand down to him.

"No, no…I've got it." He took a few deep breaths before looping his hands through the saddle straps and pulling himself up and onto Pyewacket's back. He put his legs through the stirrups and patted his steed's side. "You gonna be okay carrying everyone?"

"Yah…Pyewacket norra can fly as fast. But Pyewacket gettem dere."

"All right then, come on!" Luigi said as he tapped his heels against the dragon's side. With a great lurch, Pyewacket spread his great feathery wings and took to the air with a running leap. He allowed the fall from the parapets to grant him the speed needed for him to begin his ascent into the night sky.

Luigi gripped his mane as another wave of nauseating pain racked his body, radiating from his heart. He grit his teeth and looked ahead with determination. Leaning closer to Pyewacket, he called over the wind to his friend. "We need to drop everyone off, and then we have to find Marius. The Army Hammer Bro has his sister and he's going after him. We have to warn everyone…"

Pyewacket trumpeted a war call as he beat his wings faster, increasing their speed.

Luigi settled back in the saddle as Daisy wrapped her arms around his middle and leaned her cheek on his shoulder. It was time to dig in. Nightfall had brought about a number of bad tidings and the playing field had not been tipped in their favor. Nonetheless, he squared his jaw and leaned forward a bit, urging Pyewacket on. They had the missing diplomat at least. Now, he was simply praying that they all survived the night.


	48. A Note to the Readers!

A note to my readers:

I have been without internet for the past 2 ½ months, as it is…

I understand that I've been extremely inconsistent with my updates, I'm here to let you all know that I have indeed been working on the next few chapters. I didn't expect to be without internet for this long, as well as taking this long to update. (I happened to snag some access on a friend's computer and felt the need to put this up, to let everyone know I wasn't dead ) Thanks for your patience.

-Heather (Myrrddin)


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